LABRADOR CARVINGS

LABRADOR CARVINGS

Mother got Fred Decker from Kaipokok Bay to carve her a dog team; a komatik, four dogs and a little man (he had a whip one time). The little man is not much more than half an inch high and carved out of a whale tooth. The knife he used looked to me like an old knife that was broken off, pocket knife. He only worked at it nights, just sit and twiddle with it as he called it, no pattern to go by at all. When he finished it, it was perfect, really nice. Even the dickie hood was carved in it. It's surprising that out of nothing, with nothing to go by but memory, something so beautiful could be made. Fred was a clever man, clever in building boats and things like that, gifted.

GLADYS BURDETT
1979 - CARTWRIGHT

THEM DAYS VOL. 9.3