Baleen Basket- J. Omnik Jr, Ivory Whale Tail Finial, 4.5"

Alaska Native Handmade Baleen basket featuring ivory whale tail finial by Inuit Artist James Omnik Jr of Point Hope, Alaska

Baleen baskets are a highly-prized and skillful art form of Northern Alaskan Inupiat Eskimos. Baleen is a flexible material from the inside of the bowhead whale, who uses a filter system (bowhead whales don't have teeth) to help process plankton and small fish. Baleen baskets are woven with thin strips of baleen in a method called coiling that sews baleen bands together, ending with a beautifully carved ivory finial as the basket lid handle