Harpoon

Museum number:
2-13410
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21020013410
Accession number:
Acc.639
Description:
Harpoon, modern iron, for whaling, handle wrapped with pitch-covered Manila rope, head bared on one side, letters "SB incised in dot form on one side of heads and "STWB" incised on other side; Length 100 cm. "Bought from whaler from further-est north..When harpoon is shot into whale, from brass gun about 3 feet long, this knife-like piece [on harpoon] points straight down, and a pull on the rope that passes through handle straightens it out broadside, preventing whale from escaping. Perforated initials are on knife end of harpoon, adding to its value. Perfect condition. Rare specimen, difficult to obtain because it is used for actual service".
Donor:
Mary S. Johnson
Collection place:
Northern Alaska
Verbatim coll. place:
North Alaska; Alaska Historic
Culture or time period:
North American historic cultures
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Harpoons
Function:
1.1 Hunting and Fishing
Accession date:
1929
Department:
Nonnative US and Canada (except California)
Comment:
This object record was created because location data had been entered into the PHOEBE database without a corresponding object record. (J. Meehan 6/2003)
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Harpoon, accession number 2-13410, described as Harpoon, modern iron, for whaling, handle wrapped with pitch-covered Manila rope, head bared on one side, letters "SB incised in dot form on one side of heads and "STWB" incised on other side; Length 100 cm. "Bought from whaler from further-est north..When harpoon is shot into whale, from brass gun about 3 feet long, this knife-like piece [on harpoon] points straight down, and a pull on the rope that passes through handle straightens it out broadside, preventing whale from escaping. Perforated initials are on knife end of harpoon, adding to its value. Perfect condition. Rare specimen, difficult to obtain because it is used for actual service".Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Harpoon, accession number 2-13410, described as Harpoon, modern iron, for whaling, handle wrapped with pitch-covered Manila rope, head bared on one side, letters "SB incised in dot form on one side of heads and "STWB" incised on other side; Length 100 cm. "Bought from whaler from further-est north..When harpoon is shot into whale, from brass gun about 3 feet long, this knife-like piece [on harpoon] points straight down, and a pull on the rope that passes through handle straightens it out broadside, preventing whale from escaping. Perforated initials are on knife end of harpoon, adding to its value. Perfect condition. Rare specimen, difficult to obtain because it is used for actual service".

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