The JawBone was a Plantation music/Minstrel Show icon where it was often used as a rhythem instrument in place of, or along side of, bones. Hence there are a lot of mid 19th century songs, some parodies of each other, with Jawbone titles or references. "De Old Jawbone" chorus goes:

"Walk Jawbone with the Turkey too, Never mind that Boogerboo."

And first verse is "Jawbone hung on the kitchen wall...

I think that it was Hans Nathan (mentioned above) who suggested that Walking JawBone was a dance which may be the prototype of Tapdance as it imitates the sound it makes.

Steven Foster sang of how Angelina Baker left him to weep a tear and beat on the old Jawbone.