Thursday, December 8, 2016

Sicco Harpoon Head and Dorset Harpoon

Sicco Harpoon Head; antler, slate, sinew
I finished and shipped these pieces recently.  The harpoon head is a Sicco and the harpoon is Dorset Palaeoeskimo, based on artifacts found in Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Sicco harpoon head is made from antler, sinew and slate.  We chose antler for this piece over walrus ivory partly to keep costs down and partly to prevent problems at the border.

Dorset Harpoon; chert, antler, whalebone, wood, sealskin, sinew

The spare foreshaft is made from antler.  I prefer whalebone for foreshafts because they are not affected by humidity in the same way that antler is.  Antler will swell and bend in changing humidity. Whalebone is stable in all conditions.








Photo Credits: Tim Rast

2 comments:

  1. What are the dimensions of this Harpoon, (length + width + thickness) approximately? Boy, I sure wish I could handle one of these to get an idea of the mechanics, and how the parts fit together. I am going to try making one, and I will post the pics when I do.

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