Museum Purchase: Helen Thurston Ayer Fund.

BUILT BY WILLIAM TENNISCO OF THE GOLDEN LAKE BAND OF ALGONQUIN INDIANS, CALABOGIE, ONTARIO, CANADA IN 1940. THIS CANOE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, USED BY OWNER ON ADIRONDACK LAKE PISECO, NEW YORK, IN 1984. CEDAR PLANKS COVERED WITH BIRCH BARK, SEALED WITH SOME TYPE OF PITCH, 3 1/4" RIB ON 4" CENTER. THREE CROSS BRACES WITH LEATHER LACES COVERED WITH PITCH. ALL SEAMS OVERLAPPED ABOUT 2" ALSO SEALED WITH PITCH.

Wooden ceremonial paddle. The paddle consists of a forked, elliptical-shaped end with two small, inward facing notches, an intricately carved wooden middle section which extends out from the neck of the paddle in a rectangular shape, and a top section consisting of woven fibres covering the wooden neck and attached strings of multi-coloured seeds and various feathers. The seeds are grey-blue, white and red-grey in colour and are strung along one edge of the woven fibre casing, forming small loops from which the ends of the white and brown feathers are attached. The mid-section of the paddle is indicative of a paddle blade, with eight cuts through the wood in half moon shapes and incised with v-shaped patterns, winding lines and curled abstract motifs. Extending in either direction from the centre are incised abstract shapes generally following an elaborate v-shaped pattern. The forked end of the paddle is carved in the shape of an elongated half oval and is undecorated.

From card: "Carved."Marked on paddles: Yakutat. Identified as Eskimo on catalogue card but appear more Northwest Coast style? Yakutat is home to a number of Tlingit people. Catalogue card identifies locality as Jackson (i.e Howkan), Alaska. Howkan was originally a Tlingit village, but later became a Kaigani Haida village sometime in the early eighteenth century.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.