Sledge
- Gallery: Room 26
- Date: 1818 (Circa)
- Object type: sledge
- Materials: bone (whale and walrus bone (Vitale and Grønnow, 2024)); ivory (caribou antler and walrus ivory (Vitale and Grønnow, 2024)); seal skin; sinew; wood
- Museum number: Am1818,1219.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This sledge, made around 1818, showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Polar Inuit. Composed of whale and walrus bones, caribou antler, sealskin, and sinew, it reflects the Inughuit people's adaptability and use of available materials. The sled was acquired from Baffin Bay and North Greenland, and measures more than a meter in height.
A unique addition to this artifact is a wooden dog whip that was previously undiscovered. The whip shows fine craftsmanship, with a knotted lash and a distinctive knob at its base.
The sledge and its related items were brought to England by Sir John Ross during his Arctic expedition. It was donated to the British Museum by Sir Joseph Banks, and is the only item from Ross’s expedition remaining here. Other collected items were sent elsewhere, but this sledge has remained on display, offering a fascinating glimpse into Arctic life.
See it in person
Sledge is on display in Room 26 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
