The maze of the Dimond Center holds a maze of tables this week, winding from one hallway to another, loaded with furs and ivory and the vertebrae of bowhead whales -- all marked: "Authentic Native Handcraft from Alaska."
It's the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous' Native Arts Market, one of the biggest shows of its kind anywhere. Exquisite grass baskets by Annie Don on the west end of the mall and by Annie Blue on the east end framed a trove of uniquely Alaska craftwork.
Jennie Mendez, from Nunivak Island, has been selling at the market for 15 years, weaving musk ox wool, grass bowls and women's dance fans made from reindeer beard. "I've been doing this all my life," Mendez said. "I'm a pro at it. By the time the show is over, I'm pretty much sold out."
One item sure to sell out is moose hides. There are only five at this year's market.
Dentalium shell necklaces, though, can be found at almost any jewelry craftsman's table. Earrings are a popular item.
More traditional Native garb includes Yup'ik snow goggles and hunting weapons like throwing harpoons and bird darts by Aleut master artists Peter Lind Sr. and junior.
There's lots of fur, from otter to bear to beaver to wolverine. Eva Bryant, originally from Eek, used otter fur to make scarves and gloves. She also made seal and caribou Eskimo yo-yos for the crafts show, playing with the kid's toy and impressing possible buyers. She has sold at the crafts show since its inception, more than 20 years ago.
Some pieces are very intricate. An artist sold ivory watches with sparkling diamonds lining the edge. Drawings were etched into baleen, ranging from a bear in the sunset to a hunter to a pod of killer whales.
A full set of walrus tusks, shining in the light, attracted many prospective customers.
Charlie Komakhuk, originally from Nome, made several pieces from bowhead whales, including a kayak from a petrified brown-colored vertebra. To Komakhuk, this is a family tradition which began 23 years ago when his cousin taught him to carve cottonwood bark.
"This is really a family thing," he said. "The mother teaches the daughter much like I taught my son."
Maria Swanson, from Tok, engraves images of the Sitka rose, wild iris, raven, hummingbirds and killer whales in sterling silver and 18-karat gold.
Swanson, like many of the artists at the show, has had her work showcased in museums and galleries throughout the country. "I have always been really into crafts, and one day I wanted to make my own bracelet. So I did just that," she said.
Another nationally known artist, Athabascan beader Dolores M. Sloan, has a variety of practical items like cell phone cases and purses. Her favorite design -- the flower -- can be seen in many different colors. One cape had 220 beaded flowers.
"It takes steady beading from morning till midnight," Sloan said. "That's why I have my cabin where I can be all alone and just bead."
Teasing and fun were present as several of the craftsmen hustled to help one another get ready for the doors to open at 10 a.m. Wednesday. "If you help me I'll give you a baleen," one artist joked.
Peter Lind Sr. fingered a 6-foot ivory-tipped harpoon, meticulously detailed to match historical models, and reflected on the recent shooting in the mall.
"I figured I'd better bring this," he quipped. "I might have to protect myself."
Felix Rivera is a liberal studies major from Alaska Pacific University and intern at ADN. Daily News Arts and Entertainment editor Mike Dunham contributed to this story.
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By FELIX RIVERA
Special to the Daily News