#59 • Yup'ik Pictorial Ladle

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

High bid $800.00

Status: Sold

A late 19th-century Yup’ik ladle, distinguished by an oval scoop decorated with finely rendered imagery, including a salmon, a seal, and geometric design elements. At approximately 17.5 inches in length, it is an unusually large and striking example. For the Yup’ik, ladles and other household tools were not only functional, but often carried carved references to the animals and environments that sustained daily life. Here, the presence of salmon and seal imagery speaks directly to subsistence on the rivers and coasts of western Alaska, while the geometric motifs add rhythm and balance to the design. Such decoration reflects a worldview in which even ordinary tools affirmed relationships of respect and reciprocity between people and the natural world. Similar objects from this period are rare, as wooden implements were heavily used and seldom preserved in the challenging climate of Alaska. Provenance: The Robert and Nancy Nooter Collection