This device served as a handle for a whaling, or sealing harpoon that served the multiple functions of providing a comfortable grip for the hand as well as a detachable, reusable object that would provide the same "feel" if the harpoon was lost.

Carved in the shape of a seal, the handle also called to the spirit of that animal to guide the harpoon and increase its efficacy in the hunt.

The handle was fitted into a hollow in back of the harpoon and presumably, had a second tether that allowed it to be recovered in case the harpoon was taken by the animal and still managed to escape. According to several sources, the handle itself was lashed onto the handle to create a more aerodynamic flight towards the animal and to insure that its weight added to the power of the harpoons strike.

This piece is covered with shamanistic designs that both enhance the personality of the resident seal spirit and grant it greater powers by calling to the shaman "power points" carefully detailed on the surface.

Presumably, the elaborately inlaid and backwards-facing eyes kept contact with the hunter during a throw and allowed the hunter to keep contact with the object, much as in the case of the backwards-facing pipes shown elsewhere in this collection.