Alaska, Inuit, Aleutian, or Punuk peoples
Circa 1000 AD
Bone, likely marine mammal
Height 3 1/4" (8.3 cm); width 2 3/4" (7 cm)
Provenance: Private Northwest collection
The atlatl, a spear-throwing device used to increase the distance, velocity, and accuracy of a thrown projectile, was a fundamental hunting tool across Arctic cultures for thousands of years before the adoption of the bow. Stabilizers of this type were fitted to the atlatl pole, their broad wing-form projections designed to emulate the feathers on an arrow, mitigating aerodynamic drag and improving the accuracy of the throw. Objects of this type dating to circa 1000 AD belong to the Punuk period, a cultural phase of the Bering Strait region characterized by a distinct artistic tradition of incised geometric decoration on bone and ivory objects.
This stabilizer is carved from bone with a pair of broad wing-form projections and incised geometric surface decoration characteristic of Punuk period production. The lateral wings are carefully modeled to emulate feather structure, and the overall form is both aerodynamically considered and aesthetically refined within the conventions of the period. Provenance traces to a private Northwest collection.
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Alaska, Inuit, Aleutian, or Punuk peoples
Circa 1000 AD
Bone, likely marine mammal
Height 3 1/4" (8.3 cm); width 2 3/4" (7 cm)
Provenance: Private Northwest collection
The atlatl, a spear-throwing device used to increase the distance, velocity, and accuracy of a thrown projectile, was a fundamental hunting tool across Arctic cultures for thousands of years before the adoption of the bow. Stabilizers of this type were fitted to the atlatl pole, their broad wing-form projections designed to emulate the feathers on an arrow, mitigating aerodynamic drag and improving the accuracy of the throw. Objects of this type dating to circa 1000 AD belong to the Punuk period, a cultural phase of the Bering Strait region characterized by a distinct artistic tradition of incised geometric decoration on bone and ivory objects.
This stabilizer is carved from bone with a pair of broad wing-form projections and incised geometric surface decoration characteristic of Punuk period production. The lateral wings are carefully modeled to emulate feather structure, and the overall form is both aerodynamically considered and aesthetically refined within the conventions of the period. Provenance traces to a private Northwest collection.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
