Whale Harpoon and lanyard

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Whale Harpoon and lanyard

ca. 1880

Harpoon points with heavy yew wood shafts were attached to long cedar rope lines holding sealskin floats. As the harpoon penetrated the breaching whale behind the left flipper, the floats unfurled, causing resistance to the struggling whale. Thus weakened, it would be dispatched with lance thrusts. Originally harpoon blades were made from sharpened mussel shells, but sea mammal hunters were quick to adopt metal points.

Iron point, elk antler, spruce pitch, fiber cord

Length: 300in. (762cm)

Width: 3in. (7.6cm)

Gift of John and Grace Putnam

2006.25

Not currently on view

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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