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April 4, 2004
The Inuit Mind
I have never understood how it is that a culture who live in a largely desolate environment often completely devoid of color would create such colorful, complex geometric patterns in their art.
I bought these beaded items from an Inuit woman in Greenland in 1986. My recollecton is that I paid five dollars a piece for them. I wish I had been able to ask her how long it took her to make them.
The first piece (on the left) has a single bead which appears to be out of place. This is most certainly not a mistake - more likely the artist's unique "signature". Can you find it? (Hint: The bead can only be seen on the full-size view.)
Posted by thedude at April 4, 2004 10:58 PM
Comments
I don't believe the the misplaced bead is the artist's signature... I can't remember precisely what it represents, off the top of my head, but I think it has to do with throwing off evil spirits or something of the like. If I remember or find the information, I'll let you know. There are a number of American Indian Tribes that do this or similar. Happy belated Aniversary! Cindy
Posted by: Cindy at April 4, 2004 2:35 PM
That's very interesting, Cindy. Let me know if you figure it out.
Congratulations to Randy Kincaid. He was the first to find the bead.
Posted by: thedude at April 5, 2004 7:01 PM
I still can't find it! Where it be?
Posted by: wendy at April 10, 2004 11:34 AM
It's here.
Posted by: thedude at April 24, 2004 2:02 PM
I have been trying to find that bead.. No luck
lol.
-Angie
Posted by: AngieV at December 16, 2007 2:49 PM
Dear friend,
Thoughtful, sensitive site.
I was in Thule March 1972-March 1973, as a weatherman in the USAF.
I'm searching for someone who might know of a freshwater version of a horseshoe crab that was collected at a pond or small lake (base water supply?) near the base. While I was there I saw a specimen exactly like ones I had observed in Massachusetts, except this was about 2 to 2-1/2 inches long, as opposed to the 1 or 2 foot New Englanders.
However, such a beast is not known to exist in the scientific community. The ones known are not that small, and are all seawater varieties.
The one in Thule was on an officer's desk, and someone had said it was from a freshwater pond nearby. I tried to dredge one of the bottom of a pond, after digging through 18 inches of ice, but with no luck. Finding one in the off-season wasn't working.
If you can point me to anyone in the Innuit community that may know of such a thing, it would be quite a find.
I can email you a picture of a seagoing horseshoe crab, if needed. They're not like other crabs, but are much more like a fossil trilobite.
Sincere thanks,
Peter Fisk
Posted by: Peter Fisk at February 11, 2008 8:16 PM
I wish I had seen this crab, but know nothing of it.
Posted by: thedude at February 13, 2008 8:34 PM
The bead that is out of place is often called the Spirit Bead. Many native tribes believe that the maker of the designs puts part of their soul into each piece of artwork. This Spirit bead then allows the peice of the soul to escape and go back to the beader.
Posted by: NativeGirl at March 19, 2008 12:06 PM
