Nunivak Island Carved Cribbage Board

early 20th century

carved with a variety of rotund hungry animals, all enhanced with red and black pigments; the end of the cribbage board is a chain link bird attached to a fox's tail

length 28-1/4 inches

This is one of the longest cribbage boards in this style that I have seen, although carved tusks without the peg holes have been made from longer tusks (Ray 1981: 164).

Published:
Ray, Dorothy Jean. Aleut and Eskimo Art: Tradition and Innovation in South Alaska (1981: 164, fig. 129 a and b).

Baleen eyes missing. Repair at end fox's arm.

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Ms. Farnand has helmed the Native American Art department since its inception at Cowan's Auctions in 2003, developing it into one of the most respected and successful departments in the category. Throughout her career, Ms. Farnand has sold over $50 million in Native Art, and has created focused and curated auctions for 19th and 20th century Native works, Jewelry, and Modern and Contemporary Native and Indigenous Arts. A distinguished expert in her field, Ms. Farnand is a respected voice in the ongoing dialogue between Native American tribal groups and the collecting community regarding culturally significant objects, serving as a board member of the Authentic Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) since 2019, and spearheading the effort to return a sacred Ahayu:da wooden figure to its rightful home in the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico in 2020. She has also been an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow since 2016. Ms. Farnand holds an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. in Art History from John Carroll University.

Native American Art, Session I

Nunivak Island Carved Cribbage Board

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