Ookpik. Toy owl made from brown seal skin, with hair directed downward on front and up at back, causing bird colour to change slightly. Head is large, body flaring out slightly at shoulders. Eyes are large circles of leather, with a small leather triangle below to serve as a beak. Feet are also leather and have three toes. Suede base is round and stitched to body.

• History Of Use

  Ookpik (meaning 'snowy owl' in Inuktitut) refers to a popular Inuit handicraft that originated in the early 1960s. An ookpik is an owl figure made of sealskin with round eyes.

• Narrative

  In 1966-67 the donors' mother was engaged to James Haining who, at that time, was the area administrator of Igloolik/Hall Beach. During that period she acquired a number of Inuit artifacts. Her collection is thought to have been obtained from some of the following eastern arctic communities: Hall Beach, Igloolik, Cape Dorset, Sheardown Lake, Mary River, Frobisher Bay, Cambridge Bay, Pelly Bay, Baker Lake, Milne Inlet and Pond Inlet.

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• Type of Item figure
• Culture Inuit
• Material seal skin, cotton fibre, leather skin
• Measurements height 13.0 cm, width 9.0 cm, depth 9.2 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner Kim Armstrong
• Received from Kim Armstrong

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• Made in Kuujjuaq

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• Creation Date before 1970
• Ownership Date before February 5, 2016
• Acquisition Date on February 5, 2016

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• Condition good
• Accession Number 3148/0008