Harpoon counterweight

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Technologically sophisticated, the harpoon was an essential tool for hunting on the Bering Sea. Carvers used walrus ivory to make components of the long, spear-like instrument, including its counterweights, or stabilizers, sometimes referred to as "winged objects" due to their shape. The elegant sculptural form of this example is complemented by the engraved curvilinear designs. The top and outer edges may be inscribed with animal features.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art