Alaska, Inuit
Circa 1900
Skin, wood, bone, sinew
Length 17 1/2" (44.5 cm)
Provenance: Alan Wardwell, New York
Model umiaks were produced by Inuit craftsmen as scaled demonstrations of boat-building skill, replicating in miniature the construction methods, materials, and fittings of the full-size open skin boats used for open-water hunting and community transport. The umiak was the primary vessel for whale and walrus hunting across Arctic Alaska, its frame of driftwood lashed with sinew and covered with walrus or bearded seal skin, a design refined over centuries for stability and load-bearing capacity in open Bering Sea conditions. Models of this type made circa 1900 reflect the full construction tradition before the widespread adoption of western boat forms.
This model is complete with a dressed figure seated at the paddle position and a harpoon fitted to the hull, the level of detail consistent with a craftsman demonstrating full knowledge of umiak equipment and use. The skin covering, lashing, and bone or wood fittings are intact, giving the model the character of a functional document as much as a display object. Provenance traces to Alan Wardwell of New York, a distinguished curator and scholar of Native American and Arctic art whose collection reflected decades of serious engagement with the field.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Alaska, Inuit
Circa 1900
Skin, wood, bone, sinew
Length 17 1/2" (44.5 cm)
Provenance: Alan Wardwell, New York
Model umiaks were produced by Inuit craftsmen as scaled demonstrations of boat-building skill, replicating in miniature the construction methods, materials, and fittings of the full-size open skin boats used for open-water hunting and community transport. The umiak was the primary vessel for whale and walrus hunting across Arctic Alaska, its frame of driftwood lashed with sinew and covered with walrus or bearded seal skin, a design refined over centuries for stability and load-bearing capacity in open Bering Sea conditions. Models of this type made circa 1900 reflect the full construction tradition before the widespread adoption of western boat forms.
This model is complete with a dressed figure seated at the paddle position and a harpoon fitted to the hull, the level of detail consistent with a craftsman demonstrating full knowledge of umiak equipment and use. The skin covering, lashing, and bone or wood fittings are intact, giving the model the character of a functional document as much as a display object. Provenance traces to Alan Wardwell of New York, a distinguished curator and scholar of Native American and Arctic art whose collection reflected decades of serious engagement with the field.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
