Baleen Basket - Bear Head Finial by Harry Hank (Inupiat)

Baleen baskets by Harry Hank (Inupiat)
Bear Head finial carved from walrus tusk ivory with woven whale baleen basket.

Baleen, found in the mouths of filter-feeding whales, is similar to bristles and is made of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails and hair. The difficult process of preparing and weaving this material results in a beautiful basket rich in culture and artistry. The finial atop the basket is a whale fluke carved from walrus tusk ivory. A disk of walrus tusk ivory is also found at the bottom of the basket where the artist, Harry Hank (Inupiat), signed the piece.

A variety of highly refined Native Indian Arts and Crafts express the unique cultural traditions of Native Alaskan peoples. Commonly known as "Eskimo", the Yupik and Inupiat people of Northern Alaska have been subsistence hunters relying on local species for thousands of years. These local animals provide the materials from which are fashioned exceptional works of art. The tusks of the Pacific walrus provide ivory which carvers transform into amazingly realistic images of animals. Walrus, seal, polar bears and arctic whales are favorite subjects, but we also see birds, otters, woolly mammoth, wolf, moose and many others. Hunters waiting at seal breathing holes and whaling from kayaks are also depicted in ivory. Old pieces of whalebone collected from shorelines are also used by carvers, often for larger scale pieces. To learn more about Arts of Alaska, click here.

Height (with finial): Approximate Height 3"" Width: 2.5"