Elk's Tooth Pendant (with deer-elk carving) c. 1850 - 1900

Curator: We're looking at three Elk's Tooth Pendants, created by Pikuni artists from the Blackfeet nation between 1850 and 1900. They are relief carvings made of ivory, on a miniature scale. Editor: Immediately, the worn texture of the ivory stands out—almost like aged parchment, hinting at countless stories held within each pendant. There's a simple rawness to it. Curator: Indeed. Notice how the narrative is constrained within the form, dictated by the tusk’s curvature. The drawings themselves are economical—lines delineating the elk or deer. Editor: Absolutely. Consider how the artist sourced, carved, and pigmented the ivory—each step reliant on the materials available within their environment, revealing an intimate knowledge of their world. It makes you think about the hands that meticulously created these tiny worlds, perhaps during long winters, imbuing each piece with skill and purpose. Curator: And what of the subjects themselves? The depicted deer and elk motifs speak to a deeper visual vocabulary—likely symbolic. A study of Pikuni cultural norms is essential for interpreting such visual markers. Are they clan symbols, hunting aids, or indicators of the wearer's achievements? The formal simplicity of each composition demands thorough unpacking. Editor: Thinking materially, each element from the ivory itself to the simple pigment seems inherently tied to place, labor, and ritual use. They are miniature documentaries of the relationship between these peoples and their environment. These small carvings testify to Pikuni life—what could be preserved and adorned through generations of craftsmanship? Curator: Quite insightful. Considering its inherent structural components and the context of artistic Indigenous Americas practice is crucial to our understanding and, as well, to the formalistic interpretations and art appreciation for future researchers. Editor: By examining these Elk's Tooth Pendants, we find so much more than artistic carvings: intimate ties to tradition and material legacy.