Finned Harpoon Propeller

Called “aietsit” according to Paul Emile Victor ^{(1), the} harpoon thrower consists of a rectangular-trapezoidal board reinforced on the sides by ivory plates held in place by iron nails and ivory pegs.
These plates taper slightly toward one end, which terminates in a bone plate wedged into a triangular notch in the board. An oval hole allows it to be positioned on the spear’s propulsion hook.
At the other end, there are two holes fitted with ivory rings for securing the spear via two tenons attached to the spear shaft.
There are two notches for the thumb and index finger (the one for the thumb being wider) to prevent the fingers from slipping.
One side of the propeller is decorated with nineteen effigies of seals, walruses, whales, and narwhals, each secured by two pegs.
The undecorated side features a fairly faint groove running its entire length to support the weapon.

This type of relief decoration is unique to the Ammassalik region and dates back to ancient times.

Several museums have similar spear throwers in their collections. The Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac has four spear throwers ⁽²⁾, all collected during the French Greenland Expedition led by Paul Emile Victor. The National Museum of Copenhagen ⁽³⁾ in Denmark has two. The Museum of the American Indian ⁽⁴⁾, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the British Museum ⁽⁵⁾ each have one.

1- Paul Emile Victor & Joëlle Robert-Lamblin. *The Seal-Hunting Culture*. Volume 1: Games, Gestures, and Techniques of the Ammassalik Inuit. Published by Armand Colin-Raymond Chabaud, 1989. Page 50
2- Inventory No.: 71.1934.175.2990 / 71.1934.175.2994 / 71.1934.63.41 D / 71.1934.175.2993
3- Inventory No.: L.5406 / L.9025).
4- Inventory No.: 17/8225 (from the Copenhagen Museum)
5- Inventory No.: Am1941,01.4.b, also from the Copenhagen Museum)