Yup'ik Model Kayak and Greenlandic Umiak

early 20th century

lot of 2, includes:

an umiak with wood frame; two paddles, length 34-1/2 inches x width 10-3/4 inches

a kayak; wood frame and sealskin cover, length 23-1/2 inches

PLUS five additional paddles, lengths 6-3/4 inches - 8-1/2 inches

Condition
Tear in sidewall of umiak.

Provenance
From the collection of Father Edward F. Sippel of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, inherited from his mother, Della (Beau) Sippel, daughter of John Louis BeauBeau’s wife died in 1895 shortly after the birth of their son, Johnny. The children, Della and the infant Johnny, were subsequently raised by relatives in Calvary, Wisconsin. During this period, Beau spent approximately thirteen years in Nome, Alaska, where he operated the Beau Mercantile during the gold rush era.In 1933, Della reclaimed her father’s remaining personal effects from his bankrupt estate, preserving a small group of artifacts and photographs related to his ventures in Alaska.