Native American, Pacific Northwest, Inuit, ca. 18th to 19th century CE. A fine pair of hammered metal objects: a copper oil lamp known as a qulliq, and brass fire poker. Formed from a single sheet of copper, the lamp presents in the form of a shallow, ovoid-shaped bowl with a flat base and thick, gently curved walls that rise to a slightly flared rim above a low basin. Alternatively, the fire poker is made from a slender strip of brass. The fascinating tool displays a slender handle that widens to a folded tip, serving as a type of shovel head. The opposite end features a petite hook for suspension. Qulliqs were typically made from soapstone. This copper and brass pair is unusual, and the material purportedly came from a wrecked European or American whaling ship. Size (of largest): 14.75" L x 6" W x 1.5" H (37.5 cm x 15.2 cm x 3.8 cm)

Provenance: private Littleton, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in 1962; ex-Barrow, Alaska, USA collection

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#165867

Nicks and abrasions to both. Slight warping to fire poker. Otherwise, very nice with lovely patina and soot deposits.