Aleut or Inuit Carved Wood Fishing Line Winder with Seal-Head Barb

Native American, Aleut or Inuit. A fishing line winder, its single piece of wood shaped into a sweeping crescent whose two ends are joined by many turns of plaited animal sinew line. The arm was worked with a knife and has worn smooth to a warm honey-brown, with the softened edges that come only from long handling. At one end a socket holds a tapering barb of deer antler or bone, touched with ink so that its tip reads as the sleek head of a seal. A tool for storing and paying out line therefore carries a small portrait of the fisher's rival in the water, perhaps as decoration, perhaps as a wish for luck. Every curve is practical, and the little seal shows its maker's sense of humor. Across the Arctic and sub-Arctic coasts, from the Aleutian archipelago to the shores of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, survival depended on the sea, and fishing ranked alongside the hunting of seals and other marine mammals. The Unangan (Aleut) fished for halibut, cod, and other bottom fish from skin-covered kayaks. Inuit and related peoples jigged through holes cut in sea and lake ice. In both settings line was precious and hard to make, usually twisted or plaited from sinew. A winder kept it orderly in a cramped kayak or on the ice and let the fisher let it out and haul it back without tangles. Arctic tool makers had a long habit of decorating the tools they relied on with the animals that fed them. Sea mammals are among the most frequent subjects, carved or engraved onto harpoon parts, toggles, and fishing gear. A barb shaped and inked as a seal's head belongs to this tradition, in which ornament and use were never fully separate. This item may fall under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act or other federal laws protecting Native American, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian cultural heritage. As such, it is not eligible for international shipping, and may also be subject to repatriation or tribal consultation within the United States. Buyers are responsible for ensuring their legal right to acquire, possess, or transfer this item under all applicable laws. This lot cannot be shipped outside the United States. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 205996

Estimación:€178.68

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