Description:

Native American, Northwestern United States, Alaska, Thule/Yupik peoples, Punuk stage to Inuit, Aleut, or Yupik people, ca. 9th to early 20th century CE. A pair of ulu knives, showcasing the evolution of Indigenous Arctic toolmaking across time. One example, post-European contact, features a broad iron blade with an extended tang, tightly wrapped in rawhide, and capped with a curved antler handle affixed at the end. The other ulu appears to be pre-contact in origin, fashioned from a weathered bone handle slotted to hold a chipped stone blade, preserving the traditional construction methods of earlier generations. Both blades are crescent-shaped, designed to facilitate the rocking motion characteristic of ulu use, allowing for efficient one-handed chopping, skinning, or slicing. Size of largest: 6" L x 5" W (15.2 cm x 12.7 cm)

Provenance: private El Dorado Hills, California, USA collection

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#194498

  • Condition: Chips to the stone blade, and bone grip is weathered with a dark patina from age and exposure. The iron blade has some patina and discoloration, but intact.

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July 25, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

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