#90 • Inupiaq Baleen Basket w/ Walrus Tusk Seal Finial - James Omnik Sr.

Part of June 2026 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $1,400.00

Status: Sold

Category: Ethnographic Objects

An Iñupiaq two-toned baleen basket with a finely made coiled base and a tapered body, topped with a domed lid and accented with a walrus tusk finial in the shape of a seal, handcrafted by master weaver James Omnik Sr. from Point Hope, Alaska. The walrus tusk charger is lightly engraved with a maker's mark and contains a sticker reading, "Authentic Native Handicraft from Alaska". Also accompanying the basket is a guarantee tag where the artist's name and origin are written. James Omnik Sr. learned baleen basket weaving from his father, George Omnik, and passed the knowledge to his son, James Omnik Jr. The Native Alaskan art of baleen basket making is kept alive by very few people and produced in only a few towns and villages across Alaska, such as Barrow, Point Hope, Kivalina, and Kotzebue. The piece measures approximately 4" in diameter x 3.75" tall.