Tom Penniston's paddle acquisition: Rare decorated Mi'kmaw paddle

Some of the paddles in the private collection of Tom Penniston have been featured on the site. Tom was fortunate to recently acquire another spectacular pieces and has graciously allowed posting pics and details. This one has etched decoration on both sides of the handle but ink/dye drawings on one side of the blade. Dr. Roger J. Lewis, Curator of Mi’kmaq Cultural Heritage at the Nova Scotia Museum, has confirmed the paddle's origins as "definitely Mi’kmaq".

 

Decorated Mi’kmaq paddle

The grip also has a relatively unique style of roll grip that protrudes on one side but is flat on the other.

  

Etched decorations on grip

Ink artwork on blade

The non decorated side of the blade features an inscription with the first two lines reading:

"Made in gravel Pit yarmouth co ns"

" Mrs. L. Luxey made"

Gravel Pit Reserve was situated within Yarmouth county in southern Nova Scotia with the territory now forming part of Acadia First Nation. According to  Dr. Lewis, the Mrs. L. Luxey referred to in the inscription may be Mary "Lucy" Luxey (1855-1938) wife of Louis Luxey, chief of the Reserve. Unfortunately there is no date inscribed on the paddle  but if indeed it as was made by Mrs. Luxey as the inscription infers, it may one of the very few known examples carved by a female carver. 

Further proof of the Mi'kmaq  origin may be in the last line of the inscribed text. The first two words might be read as "al nu". Although the term Mi'kmaq is predominantly used by the tribal group today, another term used to refer to themselves in their own language was  "al nu" or sometimes phonetically written as "el nu". Much later in the mid-20th century the rules for writing were formalized and today the term is written as Lnu  or L' nu meaning "the people". Today, some of the reserves have the word Lnu in the name of the territory. As of yet, the rest of the phrase hasn't been translated. 

ca1849 Passamaquoddy Replica - Chris Pearson

Model maker extraordinaire, Chris Pearson of CanoeManArt, has made a 1/2 scale reproduction of the circa 1849 Passamaquoddy Paddle in the Peabody Harvard Collection. Chris and his work have also been featured in the past, appearing in the The Fall 2015 issue of Canoeroots and Family Camping. This issue showcased six artists whose work focuses on canoe-themed projects. The article is currently available online and there is an archived image of the write up here as well.

Chris's attention to detail on the original and as well as his expert hand have created a beautiful rendition, right down to the worn paint and patina on the original full-sized model. Amazing stuff!

 

A fantastic thread with great photos of the original more details can be followed at the WCHA forum at this link. 

Oscar Farrington Canoe Paddles, circa 1864

In the collections of the The Maine State Museum are a set of decorative paddles with some interesting decorative and carved elements. 

Catalog Number: 75.10.1
Object Name: Paddle, Canoe
Artist-Maker: Unknown
Place Made: MAINE
Date Made: Circa 1875
Media Materials: Wood, Oil paint
Measurements: 63" x 6 1/2" x 1 1/8"

Source Link

The painted blades have tiny shoulders and a distinct spine. The tips have been painted black and the blade face features some double curve motifs. The handle consists of a stepped grip similarly scene in traditional Penobscot paddles, but this one features a cylindrical roll grip on top. More painted scroll patterns appear on the flattened grip face. Stamped twice onto the grip face is the name "O. Farrington" along with a date of "1864".

A digital copy of Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine (Spring 1982) features an article entitled, "Oscar Farrington. Canoe Builder?" on pages 24-25. The article discusses the likelihood that a decorated cedar canvas canoe in the collection was also made by the same hands.

Decorative carved antique

A curiously carved canoe paddle is currently featured on  LiveAuctioneers. The 58-1/2" paddle features an elaborate grip carved with a roll-top grip with scrolled and curved patterns on the palm rest. Also curious is a carved section in the middle of the shaft where deep notches and cross hatch pattern has been worked into the wood. 

Source Link

Full-Sized Hudson Museum c1900 Penobscot Replica

 Many years ago, I came across a beautifully sculpted paddle being sold at auction. It was cited as a Penobscot design but was somewhat unique as it was carved from softwood rather than typical Wabanaki paddles. A long one at 77", the paddle showed signs of usage but also featured a delicately shaped grip complete with floral and geometric etchings.

Rather than ending up in an obscure private collection, the paddle was purchased by the Hudson Museum at the University of Maine. Additional photos taken by the museum of the opposite side revealed the grip etchings had remnants of red paint matching the blade.

The museum has now added the paddle to their Wabanaki  gallery as seen in this YouTube footage and it looks to be right at home in front of a 19 foot Penobscot bark canoe.

Back in 2012, I made a reduced-scaled, shorter version of this from a piece of Sassafras and burned the decoration. I've used it on occasion, but decided to make a full sized, 77" replica from a clear section of of a 2 by 10 spruce board. I started the initial shaping with an axe and have been steadily working on it on thinning out the blade with a crooked knife.

Given all the late season distraction work done on the Trapper Canoe restoration, work on this paddle was a little slow. Eventually it was shaped down and scraped smooth ready for the decoration just as the weather turned

The etching on the handle was replicated with a rotary tool and the cavities filled with opaque, red milk paint. The blade was also painted while the bright spruce was stained with a gel stain in order to mimic the weathered patina of the original. On Christmas Day, we were gifted with 15 cm of fresh snow that made taking photos even more picturesque. 

At 77" with a nearly 3 foot long blade this is the longest paddle I've attempted. Should be great for some stand-up paddling once paddling season begins again in the spring.

NMAI Anishinaabe (Ojibway) Floral Incised paddle

Here's another interesting find in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian. Item 90034.000 is a heavily repaired paddle attributed loosely to the "Ontario Ojibwe". The paddle's original collection date is unknown but it was donated to the forerunner of the NMAI by A.B. Comer of New York City in 1919.

Canoe Paddle

Ontario Ojibwe

no later than 1919

Barcode: 090034.000

Catalog No. 9/34

Source Link

Rather than featuring paint, the incised decorations feature some vine-like and floral motifs, not unlike the Anishinaabe decorative traditions of beadwork. 

Pair of Side Chip Carved Penobscot Paddles

A gorgeous pair of Penobscot Paddles is up for sale on 1stDibs.com. Dated to the 2nd half of the 19th Century, the paddles were varnished at one point in their lifetime and are now feature a heavily crackled surface. The seller cannot identify the wood species as it has darkened considerably due to age.

Maine
Length: 69 inches
Blade width: 6 inches
Date: Second half of the 19th century
Materials: Long grain hard wood.
Condition: Excellent. The brown varnish surface is deeply patinated with a beautifully crackled surface.
Comments: Both paddles are finely chip carved on both sides of the paddle handles and uniquely chip carved along the handle edges of each. The chip carved designs are classic, ancient, Algonquin symbols.
Source Link

The grip areas feature subtle carving symbols along the grip face, with one featuring the sun circular sun and and a crescent moon on opposing sides.

 Most unique are the geometric chip carvings along the thin edges of the elongated grips. Most certainly these were carved by the hands of a master paddle maker.

St. John River Malecite Replica

With the Covid19 issue taking over life here, it's been a challenge to get any work done on paddles between all the necessary isolating in addition to home-schooling my two boys. Many lingering projects from last summer have gone unfinished. One such paddle project is a replica of the circa 1860's Woodland paddle with a unique reverse stepped grip originally featured in this post here.

NORTHEASTERN WOODLANDS (Malecite?) CANOE PADDLE

Circa 1860

5 ft. 3 3/4 in.

Maple

This paddle was collected in the St. John's River area of New Brunswick, Canada. Floral designs are incised on the top.

Originally from the Estate of Herbert and Patricia Wellington of Locust Valley, NY

I didn't have any birds-eye to work with, but just used plain soft maple. Here is a photo from the end of last summer. A little work needed to be done on symmetry and the grip area, but the paddle was progressing well.

1860 St. John River paddle in soft maple

The grip area of the original is actually asymmetrical. One side has a defined lip at the top while the other simply smoothed over. This second side also has a some basic chip-carved elements in the form of vines and dots.

In addition there are a series of incised lines with the number varying from one to three depending on the side of the grip face. Using a chip-carving knife and some abrasive cordage, I formed these interesting carving features on the grip and then burned a reproduction of the carved elements. In keeping with the original, the top station of the grip was not carved to perfect symmetry either, with the left a little more indented than the right. I like how these truly hand made paddles were carved with such imperfections that really are a reflection of mechanised construction.

Like many of the reproductions I've been doing lately, I burned many of the details onto one side of the blade. 

The original plan was to stain the very bright and plain maple wood to a more honey tone, but that will have to wait until time allows some experimentation. 

Smithsonian Collection: Thomas Dyneley Model Paddles

From the Smithsonian Institute is a model bark canoe with various accoutrements including decorated paddles. The full listing cites the 47cm canoe model as being in the St.Francis - Abenaki style with exterior sidewalls decorated with a red line, blue dots and blue scallops.

The canoe includes two matching paddles with rounded grips and diamond shaped blades featuring notched shoulders. The blade area is divided into faded red and blue hemispheres painted on the whole blade. The items were purchased by William C. Sturtevant in 1987 from the collection of Colonel C. B. Dyneley, but I believe this to be in error. Colonel Thomas Dyneley (1782-1860), later Lt. General, was commander of the Royal Artillery in Canada from 1847 to 1852 headquartered in Montreal.  In 1838, Colonel Dyneley was given the British title of Companion of the Order of Bath, which allowed for him to use the initials CB after his name. In 1853, Dyneley was listed as one of the many Aides-du-camps for Queen Victoria.

The canoe and paddles are believed to date from 1848 which is consistent with Dyneley's deployment. Additionally the items are consistent with other tourist curios made by native groups in the St. Lawrence river corridor often purchased by military officers as souvenirs of their tours Canada.

DONOR NAME: Dr. William C. Sturtevant

COLLECTOR: Colonel C. B. Dyneley

OBJECT TYPE: Canoe Model / Paddle Model

PLACE: Ontario / Quebec, Canada, North America

ACCESSION DATE: 2002-Jun-30

COLLECTION DATE: 1848

ACCESSION NUMBER: 378683

USNM NUMBER: E430522-0

Source Link

A second canoe set, unfortunately in worse condition with broken bark and gunnels, feature similarly decorated paddles and a pole.

DONOR NAME: Dr. William C. Sturtevant

COLLECTOR: Colonel C. B. Dyneley

OBJECT TYPE: Canoe Model / Paddle Model

PLACE: Ontario / Quebec, Canada, North America

ACCESSION DATE: 2002-Jun-30

COLLECTION DATE: 1848

ACCESSION NUMBER: 378683

USNM NUMBER: E430521-0

Source Link

This form of paddle and canoe must have been popular as there other surviving models in private and museum collections that have this dual red / blue decorative motif on the paddles. One such example is found in New York's Metropolitan Museum originally discussed in this post here.

Canoe Model with Accoutrements

Ralph T. Coe Collection, Gift of Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts, 2011

Accession Number:  2011.154.6a–p

Provenance states this sample came from en English Country house post 1845 and eventually ended up in the Ralph T. Coe Collection. Dated to post 1845 would make it a contemporary of the models collected by Dyneley.

Mid 19th C. Northeastern Woodland Tiger Maple Paddle

Not sure how I missed this when it first came up for auction in 2017, now archived on Worthpoint.com...

 Northeastern Woodlands Painted Wood Paddle

first half 19th century, possibly Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)

tiger maple, 75 inch long by 5-1/2" wide

Painted in red and green, the color scheme may be suggestive of the upper and lower worlds, length 

Estimate: $3,000 - $3,500

Price Realized Including Buyer's Premium

$3,000

04/08/2017

Grip and shaft closeup

Update on a circa 1900 Penobscot Paddle with Chip-carved Motif

An update of the circa 1900 Penobscot paddle with the grey painted blade and chip-carved sun motif discussed earlier here. It seems the paddle was sold at auction back in September of 2019. Efforts are underway to contact the new owner in the hopes of getting more dimensional info and close up photos.

Penobscot Indian Paddle With Carved Sun Motif.

Step carved handle, gray polychrome painted paddle. 

Overall length 78 inches.

Casco Bay Auctions

Lot 101: September 8, 2019

Freeport, ME, USA

Source Link

late 19th C Arthur Heming Voyageur Paddle Reproduction

Another paddle replica carved during the summer of 2019 was a basswood "Voyageur" paddle illustrated by famed Canadian artist, Arthur Heming (1870-1940). Heming travelled with voyageur brigades at the very end of the fur trade era documenting the times with a mix of both realistic and fanciful artworks. In this case a hardy voyageur  climbs up a steep slope with a tumpline loaded with a crate and large sacks of supplies. A narrow paddle with an oval bobble grip acts as a support stick.

The sketch appears in J.W. Tyrell's Across the sub-Artics of Canada (published 1898) and is available on Archive.org. Heming accompanied Tyrell on this trip and in this case sketched many realistic portraits of the crew and environment. It stands to reason that the accomplished artist drew this paddle design from a real sample in the field.

My version was made from a narrow basswood board and also worked down with an axe, crooked knife and spokeshave. Here is a shot in the final stages of carving...

Heming Voyageur replica

Back in the city, the paddle was sanded down and the blade decorated. I was tempted to simply lightly burn the blade to match the sepia tones of the illustration, but in the end decided to use a thick coat of milk paint to recreate the reddish tones often used by voyageur crews.

A small window was left unpainted on the reverse side with details of the paddle burned onto the blade face and the whole paddle oiled.

Quaver gripped antique paddle

Here's a very interesting paddle appearing in an Ebay Ad posted from Sainte-Martine, Quebec. This undated paddle has coat of faded red paint and a curve shouldered blade with notches at the neck.

58 1/4" long x 5 3/4"wide 

Most interesting is the grip end, which features an asymmetrical roll. The seller refers to the grip as having a "quaver" shape, referring to the shape of an 1/8th note in music. One side of it is rotten but red paint on the surface clearly shows this was the original shape and not simply a broken grip end.

These hook like asymm grips have been seen before in model canoe paddles sent over to Europe as part of the tourist trade. Most notably they are found in the paddles that accompanied the model canoe sent as a votive offering to the Cathedral de Chartres around 1760. See this post here.

Image Source Link:

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/nllefce/fr/mu_28000/11405_83.htm

The paddle grip is also discussed and illustrated briefly in Graham Warren's 100 Canoe Paddle Designs book.

100 Canoe Paddle Designs

by Graham Warren

March 2014. Raven Rock Books.

200 pages. A5. Spiral bound.

ISBN  0 9530352 2 0