birchbark; possibly spruce root (?); wood, porcupine quills, natural and dyed pink, purple, green, and orange.

This model canoe is made of one piece of birchbark stitched together with possibly spruce root (?) with a separate birchbark lining. The rims or gunwales of the canoe are made of small pieces of wood splint, and the thwart is made of wood. Quillwork in horizontal floral and geometric motifs decorate both sides.

On one side: floral motifs in the centre, perhaps Scottish thistles, or flower buds, or strawberries (?); two diamonds on either side ending in three-petalled flower, perhaps a bloomed flower. One other side: floral motifs in the centre, perhaps Scottish thistles, or flower buds, or strawberries (?); two diamonds on either side ending in perhaps Scottish thistles, or bloomed flowers

The motifs on both sides of the canoe could possibly represent flowers or thistles in different stages of bloom (?)

Museum database

Purchased from Herman ten Kate in 1921

Pieter Hovens, with contributions by Duane Anderson, Ted Brasser, Laura van Broekhoven et al. "The Ten Kate Collection 1882-1888". Leiden: ZKF Publishers, 2010.