Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 1994-0013-0001   CAS 1994-0013-0001; Etching on baleen
Category Visual Arts
Object Name Etching on baleen
Culture Siberian Yup'ik (Yupik)
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Alaska
County Nome
Other Geographic Data St. Lawrence Island; Village: Gambell
Maker's Name Roger Silook
Date of Manufacture ca. early 1980s
Collection Name N/A
Materials Baleen: bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)
Description Baleen plate with incised drawings on one face along its entire length; Depicted left to right are the following images: Harpoon spear and attached float, 1 ribbon seal, 1 white seal (?), a bowhead whale, 2 walrus, and 3 polar bears; Entire drawing is signed at far left "Roger Silook, Gambell, Alaska."
Dimensions (cm) Width = 19.5, Thickness = 2.0, Length = 300.0