Bag Fastener for a Woman's Sewing Kit

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Bag Fastener for a Woman's Sewing Kit

An ivory handle in the form of a standing figure. There are two lines with dots in the middle around the neck and around the ankles, with a diamond shape over the chest of the figure.

Culture Inupiat

Culture Yupik

Title Bag Fastener for a Woman's Sewing Kit (Qerrvik)

Date 1825–1850

Medium Ivory

Dimensions Mount: 1/4 × 1 1/4 × 1 1/4 in. (0.6 × 3.2 × 3.2 cm)
Object: 5 3/4 × 3/4 × 3/8 in. (14.6 × 1.9 × 1 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 6 5/8 × 1 1/4 × 1 1/4 in. (16.8 × 3.2 × 3.2 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 77.34.6

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About this Work

Bag fasteners were used to secure small bags, known as “housewife” bags or sometimes just as a “housewife,” which held necessary items, knives, scrapers, thimbles, etc. As can be seen here, the fasteners used could be quite elaborate and varied based upon the carver's creativity and skill.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Bag Fastener for a Woman's Sewing Kit | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=77.34.6