Native American, Northwestern United States, Alaska, Inuit, pre-Contact Period, ca. 16th to 18th century CE. A collection of 20 artefacts and tools hand made by Inuit people from whale and walrus bone, walrus ivory, and wood. The largest tools are harpoon shafts with barbed hooks for holding onto the speared animal. Two of the items have drilled holes and a spool-like shape with a groove encircling the center. The piercings were used as mouth pieces to inflate seal skins for whale hunting and once inflated a plug would be inserted into the mouthpiece’s hole. The rest of the items consist of smaller harpoon points and awls. All is displayed in a modern Riker case. Size of largest harpoon fragment: 8" L x 0.75" W (20.3 cm x 1.9 cm); case: 16.125" L x 12.125" W (41 cm x 30.8 cm)
This is an ESA antique exempt piece of ivory and cannot be sold internationally or to anyone residing in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We guarantee that the pieces are over 100 years old.
Provenance: private Littleton, Colorado, USA collection, purchased from Gladys' Gifts, Barrow, Alaska, USA between 1959 to 1962
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#165930
Condition
The larger harpoons are fragments of larger pieces. Chips and losses to all as expected with age and use. Stable pressure fissures on bones. Flaking and pressure fissures on wood. Nice patina to all. Displayed in Riker case.