Carving Tool Handle Item Number: 3140/3 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Wooden handle for a carving tool. Hand carved piece of wood. Rounded, but off-centre, grip at wider end. Wood has been sawed off flat at the narrow end. Unpainted; undecorated.

Narrative

The donor was a woodwork teacher at Britannia Secondary (Vancouver) in the early '80s, where they had initiated an after school program of introducing First Nations youth to some First Nations artists, including Bill Reid. The artists came into the classroom to show students various art forms, including carving, making carving tools, and drum making. Reid used the notebook (3140/1) to illustrate designs to the students. He also carved knife handles and demonstrated curved knife making in order to teach the students how to make their own carving tools.