Arctic Eskimo Wooden Seal Ice Scraper
This Inuit ice scratcher (or seal scratcher), a traditional tool used primarily for hunting seals. These implement is crafted from a wooden handle with three or four bearded seal claws lashed to the end using sinew or leather. Far from being a simple scraper, this tool was a clever hunting decoy designed to mimic the sound of a seal's claws scratching against the ice. Hunters would lie on the frozen ocean and use the scratcher to lull their prey into a false sense of security, making the seal believe another member of its species was nearby. This sonic camouflage allowed the hunter to stealthily crawl close enough to strike with a harpoon or rifle
Circa: last Half 19th Century
Size:
Prov: Private Washington Collector
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Kent Williamson kcwtraveler@gmail.com 713-299-7512
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