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Description

Painted miniature canoe paddle.

Longer Description

Painted miniature canoe paddle. The paddle is carved from a single piece of wood, likely cedar. The handle is rounded, then widens slightly and flattens out before tapering to form a long, rounded shaft. On both sides, where flat, the handle is decorated with a brick red v-shape, surrounded by black paint. The shaft is unpainted. The blade wides and flattens, reaching a width of 27 mm. The blade is irregularly shaped toward the end, which is roughly semi-circular in shape. On one side, the blade is painted red near the shaft, followed by a long section painted black with a red line down the centre. At the end are two red sections. On the reverse, the blade is decorated with a black section featuring an unpainted area that divides it in half and forms a triangle. There mid-section of the blade is painted red, outlined with black on either end. There is a red triangular outline below, with the remainder of the end painted black. [CAK 30/04/2009]

Primary Documentation

Accession Book Entry - Mr J.T. Hooper ... Littlemore, Oxon - [1 of] 3 miniature painted canoe-paddles, HAIDA, N.W. AMERICA. ... Pd by cheque 4 June 1928 £7-5-6

There is no further information on the catalogue card. [CW 8 6 98]

Written on object - HAIDA Pur. 4.6.1928 [CAK 30/04/2009]

Related Documents File [James Thomas Hooper, Catalogue of Ethnographical Material] - The museum has a photocopy of Hooper's accession and dispersal records, which are bound as two volumes and kept in a separate box file. Items are arranged according to Hooper's own numbering system [RTS 21/11/2003].

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]

Research Notes

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This paddle was viewed alongside other paddles on Tuesday Sept 15, 2009. Delegates thought this was a model paddle made for play, especially as it showed marks of wear. It was suggested that all the miniature paddles viewed were models, or used for play. Christian White thought this looked like a model steering paddle because of the width and curved blade. Candace Weir also mimed spooning something into her mouth with this spoon, as well as 1928.59.29 - .30. See also 1928.59.28 and 1928.59.29. [CAK 18/05/2010]