**Originally Listed At $1200**

Native American, Native Alaskan, Inuit, ca. 19th century CE. An elegant model of a pine wood kayak, its surface covered with seal skin that is hand sewn together with the cockpit trimmed in a slender band of ivory with a miniature whale's tooth carved from whale bone. Sitting within is a miniature hunter carved from wood with separately carved arms attached via dowels so that they move freely. According to the John P. Richardson Museum catalogue entry, this figure once had a tag that read, "Given to me by E. Coatesworth, Boston. She said that it was made by Henry Beston while he spent the year at the Outermost House, Cape Cod. John P. Richardson." The figure's face and garments are carefully hand-painted in black, red, and white pigments. Size: 15.5" L x 2.625" H with figure (39.4 cm x 6.7 cm); when removed, figure is 2.375" H (6 cm)

Henry Beston, created the figure in the kayak, was an American author and naturalist who is best known for his book "The Outermost House" written in 1928. Note also that the kayak was the most prized possession of a northern hunter, used for transportation, seal hunting, and fishing.

See a similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/319187

The ivory on this item pre-dates 1900 and was acquired long before the 1970 ban on ivory trade.

Please note that ivory from any species cannot be shipped to the US States of California, Hawai'i, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington State, and Illinois.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-John P. Richardson Museum, Massachusetts, USA; ex-Henry Beston collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA - Beston was an American author and naturalist who is best known for his book "The Outermost House" written in 1928.

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

#145393

Seal skin covering shows expected age wear with some stains, abrasions, and a few minute losses. Minute crack to cockpit border. Wooden figure has darkened a bit with age, but is otherwise excellent.