**First Time At Auction**

Native American, Alaska, Punuk peoples, Pre-Contact period, ca. 10th to 14th century CE. A nicely preserved example of an openwork counterweight that would attach to the tail end for stability and balance. The turreted design features several incised striations evocative of bird feathers and a lower mortise contains a plug where the harpoon end was inserted. The Punuk people used both wood and walrus ivory to create counterweights like this example for their smaller, more lightweight harpoons. Size: 2" W x 4.375" H (5.1 cm x 11.1 cm); 6.3" H (16 cm) on included custom stand.

For a stylistically similar example carved from walrus ivory, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1977.165.1

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#155306

Nicks to body, base, and plug, with softening to some incised details, and light encrustations. Nice patina throughout.