This is a creative baleen basket by Don Johnston, Jr.  He is a son of noted basket-maker Don Johnston (Aleut).  He learned to weave and carve from his father. Don, Jr. has only made a few baskets and this is the largest one to date.  It is oval in shape and very tightly woven. Around the shoulder, note how he has woven the white baleen with the black baleen to create a unique stitch style!  The top has a whale tail lid carved from fossilized ivory.  Don, Jr. has created his own style of tail that is wider with rounded tips.  There is another tab of woven ivory on the bottom where the piece is signed.  The lid should be removed by the edge, not the finial.  There is always a locking lip on the bottom inside of the lid.”  Simply exceptional!  It is signed, “Don Johnston, Jr” and was made in 2024.  We are pleased to have his work and that of his family in our galleries.

What is baleen?

Baleen plates have hair-like structures that filter out tiny floating organisms and fish and are found in the mouth these plankton-eating whales. Baleen was originally used for indigenous objects like water cups, buckets, and sleds. The Bowhead whale has been subsistence hunted by Alaska Coastal Natives, including the Yup’ik and Inupiat for over 1,000 years, and no part of the whale is ever wasted. A butchered bowhead whale can yield thousands of pounds of food. The community shares of meat and blubber are apportioned equitably to ensure that everyone benefits from a successful hunt.