#32 • Alaskan Native Chessboard - Walrus Tusk, Baleen, Seal & Walrus Hide, Wood & Feathers

Part of March 2025 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $3,200.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A handmade vintage Alaska Native chessboard, complete with all thirty-two pieces, crafted with organic materials, featuring pieces in walrus tusk with baleen details, placed on circular disks, and including figures such as walruses, Inuits, whales, otters, two with feathered headpieces, and pawns in the shape of ulu knives. The sixty-four square game board is framed in wood, with alternating dark and light tiles of walrus and seal hide, with drawn details on white tiles, including owls, cranes, yo-yos, mittens, sleds, and more. It has a clear lacquered finish for preservation; the reverse has some discoloration as photographed. Board alone measures approximately 14.5" x 14.5" x 1.75" thick.