Herbert Koonuk Baleen Basket - Vintage

Hand-woven and intricately carved by Inupiaq Herbert Koonuk (1911-1994), this Baleen Basket is adorned with a unique Polar Bear finial, made of ivory and baleen inlay details. Expertly crafted in Point Hope, Alaska, this basket is a work of art that honors the traditional techniques and skills of the Inupiaq people. Signed on the lid H.K.

Product Dimensions: 5.5" W x5.5" L x 6" H

Baleen baskets are a highly-prized and skillful art form of Northern Alaskan Inupiats. 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