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Canoe Model


Mohawk artist, Canoe Model, ca. 1800, wood, The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection, no known copyright restrictions, 87.70.25A-D

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Details
Title

Canoe Model

Artist

Mohawk artist (Mohawk)

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

canoes

figurines

models

Mohawk

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection

wood

Description

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.

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