Baleen Basket by Carl E. Hank

Baleen basket with walrus ivory mother polar bear and cub finial. Very large and exceptional baleen basket. Large seal finial with embedded baleen on square ivory pad. Bottom signed Carl E. Hank with a Point Hope AK bone medallion. 7" x 7" x 7" to top of finial. Carl Hank, Inupiaq, is a baleen basket maker born and residing in Anchorage, Alaska. The story of baleen basketry as an art form that cannot be told without the Hank family. For generations they have kept this unique and laborious weaving tradition alive. Carl is the great-grandson of master weavers Carl and Eunice Hank. His uncle is noted weaver Harry Hank. Carl continues to develop his skills and style and is gaining a reputation as one of the most accomplished baleen basket weavers working today. Baleen is a material obtained by Inupiaq and St. Lawrence islanders from harvested whales, particularly the bowhead. For over half a century, Alaskan Inupiaq Eskimos have created baskets from baleen, a keratinous substance from the mouths of plankton-eating whales. Although not as prevalent as ivory, baleen basketry significantly supports the livelihoods of weavers in arctic villages in Alaska. Collectors of Alaskan Native art highly seek these baskets, with contemporary weavers producing beautifully shaped, finely woven pieces, some featuring multicolored baleen. Today, there are only a handful of people who weave baleen baskets and in limited areas. Most baskets are twined. The baleen is stripped, soaked in water and then woven. Typically, weavers start these round baskets with an ivory disc at the bottom, which has holes around its periphery. They then finish the top with an ivory or bone ornamenting the lid, often adorned with finial figures. Only Alaskan Natives are allowed to harvest and use baleen.