Hunting vessel; Kayak

Scale: Unknown. A model of a Caribou Inuit kayak made from wood and animal skin. The framing consists of coarse wooden lathes, which are irregular in shape, and has been covered in caribou hide made up of varying shapes and sizes sewn together. The top face of the kayak is flat and the stern juts out at a shallow angle. The cockpit is positioned slightly aft of amidships and is an irregular oval shape. The front of the cockpit has a bone harpoon head with a hole passing through it attached. The model has two breaks in the skin below the cockpit area.

Kayaks of this type were used on inland waters in the North American Arctic for hunting caribou as it crossed rivers on seasonal migration.

Object Details

ID: AAE0044
Collection: Ship models
Type: Full hull model
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Date made: Unknown
Exhibition: North-West Passage
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
Measurements: Overall: 85 mm x 1280 mm x 109 mm