Bow Item Number: A2.326 from the MOA: University of British Columbia


Small cable-backed bow of wood, curved in the middle with straight ends. Braided string is stretched across the bow, tied around the ends, and goes longitudinally along the other side of the bow.
Cable-backed bows are bows reinforced with a braided cable along the back. Cables are attached to the bow at intervals, and tightened once placed. They decrease pressure on the bow’s back, increase its strength, and decrease its chance of breaking. The tighter the cable, the greater these effects. Cable-backed bows can have a variety of profile shapes: recurve, straight, etc.
According to the old Museum ledger, Ian M. Mackinnon presented Frank Burnett with this collection of Inuit objects. They were said to have been collected during his years traveling to the Coppermine area, c. 1921-24.