Self taught, I carve both original, non-traditional oil lamps that often have an organic shape like a seal or a bear’s head and, also, replications of traditional Alutiiq style lamps that honor the culture and artistry of Kodiak’s original people. These lamps are often lit to highlight special occasions or personal celebrations as well as to rekindle fond memories. Collaborating with clients as they select elements of style and design for their lamp prior to carving is always an inspiring part of the process. The stone, of course, always brings its own voice, through color, texture and movement. Every lamp is a transformation. My lamps can be found in homes and offices and even churches across our nation and in Korea, Japan and Canada.

Traditional Kodiak oil lamps were and are used as a source of light. They were fueled with seal or whale oil and lit with a wick of twisted cotton grass or moss. Most Kodiak lamps were created from a hard granite-like stone called tonalite and were shaped with simple stone tools. They were probably smoothed and polished with wet sand or volcanic ash.  They are often perfectly symmetrical and beautifully beveled on the sides and rim. The decorative lamps made during the late Kachemak Bay period, between 700 and 3000 years ago, are extraordinary works of art. Lamps were commonly stored upside down, it is said , to keep the spirits in and it is in this position they are most often found by today’s archeologists.  The bases may be decorated with a whale’s flukes or a seal head while the basins may contain diving whales, seals, human figures, bear heads, raised platforms or additional rims. The oldest lamp found on the island has been carbon dated to 7300 years of age.  The ancient artists were masters of the concept of form follows function and created timeless works of art that have withstood the rigors of a harsh environment, many having been found tumbled on beaches or protruding from cliff faces.

In addition to the rich and varied lamps found throughout the years at many locations on Kodiak Island, a large collection of buried oil lamps was found by anthropologist, Dr. Ales Hrdlidka in the 1930s at the Uyak Bay site on Kodiak’s western shore. They were photographed, measured and sketched for research and included in books and papers on this subject.  My lamps, while made of soapstone instead of local stone, follow these forms and often include the traditional decorative features created by the original artists. The original lamps are my inspiration as I continue to learn from the ancient masters. Their light casts a soft glow and dancing shadows on this unique art form as it must have on darkened subterranean walls.

The following images are examples of lamps I have carved and may serve as a springboard for creating a lamp of your own.  While, in the past, seal oil was the traditional choice for fuel, today we use olive oil with a wick of twisted cotton grass, cotton ball or candle wick. All lamps come with a printed history of Alutiiq oil lamps, suggestions for use and care and a personalized story of your own lamp.  Tufts of Alaskan bronze cotton are included with directions for making your own traditional wick.

Lamps vary in price depending on their size and use of stone but range between $180.00 for a hand held ‘hunter’s lamp’ to $900.00 for a larger lamp with many bevels and features.

Contact  Sandee Drabek :     sandston@ptialaska.net     907-654-9347