On the question of origin and spreading of pelikens in Chukotka

The article attempts to analyse the origin and possible ways of spreading of anthropomorphic sculptures carved from walrus fang, called "pelikens" among Chukchi and Asian Eskimos. The phenomenon of peliken is considered in a broad cultural and historical context: archaeological, ethnographic, folklore, art history, as well as unpublished earlier archival materials of domestic and foreign scientists are involved in the course of the investigation. There are presented arguments that cast doubt on the modern hypothesis about the origin of pelikens. The research shows that a possible reason for the rapid spreading of pelikens on the territory of Chukotka in the early 20th century is the existence of local ancient tradition.