Woodland Themed Northwest Coast Paddle

Blog contributor Thomas P has submitted pictures of an antique that resembles Northwest Coast paddles in design. It is a relatively short one at just 52 inches long.

The paddle features a curious notched grip. Difficult to see how this would be practical so it might have been some type of artistic flair from the paddle maker.

The two sides of the blade feature woodland-themed artwork. One side is decorated with an etching a bull moose head...

...the other features a deer climbing over a fallen log.

Many thanks for the submission. If you missed it the first time it was posted, Thomas provided photos for another unique paddle -  a late 1800s Penobscot Paddle decorated with memories of an Allegash River trip. Read that by clicking HERE.