Arctic Eskimo Wooden Seal Ice Scraper

This Inuit ice scratcher (or seal scratcher), a traditional tool used primarily for hunting seals. These implement is crafted from a wooden handle with three or four bearded seal claws lashed to the end using sinew or leather. Far from being a simple scraper, this tool was a clever hunting decoy designed to mimic the sound of a seal's claws scratching against the ice. Hunters would lie on the frozen ocean and use the scratcher to lull their prey into a false sense of security, making the seal believe another member of its species was nearby. This sonic camouflage allowed the hunter to stealthily crawl close enough to strike with a harpoon or rifle Circa: last Half 19th Century Size: Prov: Private Washington Collector