Harpoon-Head
Harpoon-Head
Object name: Harpoon-Head
Date: 1700-1900
Medium: Bone, hide
Object number: C03224
DescriptionSmall serrated or barbed blade head of a harpoon. Made of bone.
Inuit harpoon-heads were either toggle-heads or barbed heads. The main difference between these two styles lies in the way each cements the animal in place - the toggle-head twists 90 degrees through a complex system of external lines and pulleys, while the barbed heads simply had teeth along the edges that secured the harpoon in place. This harpoon-head is evidently of the second category, with a longer shape and teeth running along the side such that the piece could easily puncture the flesh but not come loose from the hide.
Inuit harpoon-heads were either toggle-heads or barbed heads. The main difference between these two styles lies in the way each cements the animal in place - the toggle-head twists 90 degrees through a complex system of external lines and pulleys, while the barbed heads simply had teeth along the edges that secured the harpoon in place. This harpoon-head is evidently of the second category, with a longer shape and teeth running along the side such that the piece could easily puncture the flesh but not come loose from the hide.