#2 • An Antique Eskimo Seal Retriever

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

High bid $400.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

A late 19th- or very early 20th-century Eskimo seal hook, used in traditional hunting to retrieve marine game taken in open waters. This example has a notably heavy wooden body, fitted with three sharp iron hooks. It is attached to a substantial length of walrus-hide cordage, complete with a mineralized walrus-tooth toggle. The cordage has stiffened with age but would originally have been supple, a practical use of available materials that reflects the resourcefulness of a subsistence-based lifestyle in which every part of an animal served a purpose. The wooden body measures approximately 12 inches long by 5.75 inches wide and 5.75 inches deep.