A fine and rare Inuit dog tethering spindle, Inuit; Alaska
The tethering mechanism made from two pieces of walrus tooth, the round disk top fitted to the post and used to attach to a stake in the ground so that a dog on a long hide leash would not get tangled ; the upper swivels allowing full circular motion. An ingenious old device. D. 2"
Comments: Property of a New England Private collector
Provenance: Purchased decades ago from a New England estate with ties to the whaling trade in the 19th Century.