Harpoon
- Gallery: Room 26
- Date: 18thC
- Object type: harpoon, pike, spear
- Materials: wood; bone
- Museum number: Am1949,22.85
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This is a wooden harpoon with a bone foreshaft, elaborately carved and dating to the 18th century. It’s a remarkable example of Nuu-chah-nulth craftsmanship from the North West Coast of North America.
The long yew-wood handle is intricately carved with lifelike figures, including birds and humans intertwined, feathered lightning snakes, and other stylized animals. These were not just decorative — they represented spirit-helpers believed to grant warriors power and protection.
The tool has been linked to the Oldman collection and may have been collected during Captain George Vancouver’s voyages. The design reflects a tradition of three-dimensional wood carving unique to the region, showcasing incredible detail and spiritual meaning in every curve and line.
See it in person
Harpoon is on display in Room 26 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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