Baleen Whale Baskets
A fine selection of the rare, quality hand crafted and handwoven authentic Native Inupiaq Eskimo Whale Baleen Baskets for collectors! I currently have only three of these rare Baleen Baskets available for sale:
THERE ARE NO BALEEN WHALE BASKETS AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT THIS TIME.
Just click the photo of the fine collectible Baleen Basket which interests you, and you can read more about the basket in greater detail, see additional photographs and you can purchase the Baleen Basket right on that page! Each handwoven Whale Baleen Basket is ready for immediate purchase and shipping!
What is a Baleen Basket?
Whale Baleen basket weaving is an extremely rare, labor intensive and dying Alaska art form, practiced solely by a select few Native American Eskimo artists, which utilizes the filtering plates of the bowhead whale. Obtaining a woven whale baleen basket for your basket collection is a worthy venture as travel to Alaska is so expensive. Each woven Baleen Basket shown is in stock and available for immediate purchase.
Using the black fiber filtering system from the mouth of the bowhead whale (known as baleen), the Eskimos use it in their woven baleen baskets, carvings, and bracelets. It is often inlaid in the eyes of animal carvings, sometimes in combination with fossil ivory. It is generally polished and it looks very shiny.
Whale Baleen is not to be confused with ink, which is also used on some carvings. It takes an additional talent and experience to work with whale baleen. Only Native Alaskans are authorized to use it in their handicrafts. The whale baleen plates are worked down to tiny rods and coils which are then soaked and woven. The finer the woven whale baleen basket, the harder it is to prepare and weave (more labor intensive) and thus, more expensive.
