Walrus Tusk Frank Ellanna Eskimo Baidarka Hunter Seal

Walrus Tusk Frank Ellanna Eskimo Baidarka Hunter Seal

This hunter, already successful in his quest for a seal, is still poised to find more prey, with his spear in hand. The seal on the bow of the boat is a recent catch, while the seal-like shape on the stern of the boat is a float tied to the spear, used to keep speared seals from sinking.

We call this a baidarka, rather than a kayak because of the closed hook on the bow of the boat, though we suspect some people use the terms interchangeably.

Signed by Frank Ellanna; according to the National Museum of the American Indian, the artist was Inupiaq from King Island, born ca. 1907. We estimate the creation date of this item to be 3rd to 4th quarter 20th century. Materials include fresh and old walrus tusk, sinew, and India ink.

5 1/2 inches long x 1 inch wide x 1 1/2 inches high

Please note that products containing ivory cannot be shipped to New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, or California. To our knowledge, as of this writing, it is still legal to ship these products to all other states. Click here to see a brochure published by the U.S. Department of the Interior with more details on this topic. Before ordering any product containing ivory, please check with your own state’s laws.

If you are interested in having this product shipped outside the United States, please call 207 423-8473 to discuss permit requirements.