NAVIGATION

Harpoon lines were made by cutting a continuous spiral strip from the hide of a bearded seal whose skin was the proper thickness. The width of the cut determines the strength of the thong, which can be 30 metres long. The line is composed of separate segments; a harpoon loop, a main thong and a hand toggle grip, and each of these are attached to the other with carved ivory line fasteners. The carved grip was used with the line for ice hole or floe edge seal hunting.