Canoe Model
Mohawk artist, Canoe Model, ca. 1800, wood, The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection, no known copyright restrictions, 87.70.25A-D
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Canoe Model
- Artist
- Date
ca. 1800
- Medium
wood
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
4 1/4 in x 34 1/2 in
- Collection Area
Native American Art
- Category
Woodlands
Sculpture
- Object Type
figurine
- Cultural Group
Haudenosaunee/Iroquois
- Tribe/Nation
Mohawk
- Credit Line
The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection
- Accession Number
87.70.25A-D
- Copyright
no known copyright restrictions
- Terms
The Mohawk and other members of the Iroquois Confederacy were expert sailors who used the inland waterways of the Great Lakes region as their highways. This model canoe recalls that expertise and provides an example of their woodworking artistry. The canoe is carved from a single piece of wood, with separate pieces for the cross-members. The two figures are also carved separately and sit in the canoe on pegs. Canoe models such as this could have been made for a child or specifically to be sold to settlers or visitors as an example of Mohawk culture.