Harpoon

• Main Author: Wassilie, Moses
• Other Authors: Given to the University of Washington Libraries by Norman Jenisch Rose and Louise R. Rose
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Fairbanks; Anchorage; Moses; King Island; eskimo*; Yupik; Alaska
• Online Access: http://cdm16786.contentdm.oclc.org:80/cdm/ref/collection/p16786coll14/id/92

Harpoon crafted in wood, ivory, steel, nylon rope, and fishing line. The harpoon was commissioned from Moses Wassilie by Norman Jenisch Rose and Louise R. Rose. About the Piece: Moses Wassilie constructed this harpoon from an old harpoon shaft, a spent saw blade, braided fishing line, and nylon rope. While the tip of this harpoon is not sharpened, as it is not intended for use, the harpoon functions by placing the tip through the skin of the animal. After the tip is inserted the line becomes taut and the toggle engages so that the animal can not pull free. If the animal does pull free, the toggle acts as an identifier and tradition demands that anyone who may catch the animal in the future will share with the owner of the toggle. From information provided by the artist and the Roses. About the Artist: "The artist was born in a sod house at Nunapitchuk in Southwest Alaska in 1946; mother is Lucy Jacob, traditional Yupik dancer and subsistence trained woman and father was Wassilie B. Evan, subsistence Hunter and Fisherman and leader from Napapskiak. As a young boy, Moses spent his grade school years at the Moravian Children's Home in Kwethluk .graduated from Mt. Edgecumbe boarding school in 1967 where he started painting portraits using charcoal on Sitka pulp mill paper. Other schools include the Institute of Alaska Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico to study painting and the University of Alaska Fairbanks under Ron Senungetuck to study carving. The artist paints with pastel, acrylic and oil; was also trained by Paul Tiulana to produce King Island style drums, driftwood carvings and masks, and self-taught ivory jewelry." Information provided by the artist. [e-mail] Phone: [phone] PO Box 211224, Anchorage, AK 99521-1224. This is one of several pieces of Mr. Wassilie's work donated to the Bothell Campus Library by Norman and Louise Rose. Other works are "Sweet Lips," "Raven's Final Transformation," and "Wolf Bear Mask."