PEM Artscape Paddle

Here's a decorative Anishinabe souvenir paddle now part of the Peabody Essex Museum. It features a two toned painted blade with some etchings on the shoulder and neck area...





Chippewa-Ojibwa (Anishinabe)Paddle
44.5 inches
c.1823-25 (painted wood)

Paddles were among the souvenir items produced by Anishinabe artists in the early 19th century. This paddle's small handle and painted decoration indicate it was made for the souvenir trade. The carved curvilinear designs, occurring on objects from the Great Lakes region and the eastern Plains, are sometimes interpreted as a feather motif.