Model Paddle

Canoe paddles like this were probably made to be sold to non-Indigenous collectors. Producing collectible objects became a way for carvers and painters to continue their traditions during a time of great cultural change.

Said to have been collected by the donor's grandfather in the Ocean Falls area in the 1920s.

Model paddle. Blade is long and leaf shaped, slightly convex on both sides, with a rounded, tapered tip. Handle is thick and round at neck, flattening toward grip. Grip is a small tube. Birds are painted on either side in formline style, in red and black.