Inuit Whale Harpoon Head

17th-19th Century

7"

Hand Crafted Historic Metal and Ivory Whale Harpoon Head Tied with Braided Rope

In Very Good Condition An outstandingly rare item with metal and bone whale harpoon head still intact with baleen cordage.

The Inuit whale harpoon head is a key example of sophisticated traditional technology developed by Inuit (and their ancestors, such as the Thule people) for hunting large marine mammals like bowhead whales in the Arctic.

These harpoon heads are most famously known as toggling harpoon heads, an ingenious Inuit invention dating back over a thousand years (with early precursors even older, from around the early second millennium BCE in related Arctic cultures). Unlike standard barbed harpoons that rely on fixed points or hooks to stay embedded, the toggling design allows the head to pivot or "toggle" inside the animal after penetration, creating a secure T-shaped anchor that resists pulling out.