A Native American dog sled quirt with a pine wood handle decorated in polychrome paints.
 
The handle is carved of a single block of wood with faceted decoration and tapers in width. Attached is a wonderful 4 way braided cording made of cut seal skin (each piece is cut from one continuous length of skin in a spiral pattern to achieve long lenghts) and is box braided.
 
Retains a beautiful vibrant painted surface to the handle and oxidized dry surface to the braided cording. In overall very good condition with an unknown loss of length to the cord (the length would depend on how long the tow line would be).
 
Northwest Territories, CA, possibly from the Ft. Simpson area. Metis? Ca. 1900.