The crooked knife, an essential tool of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands, was described as “peculiar” by early European explorers because of the angle of the blade to the wooden handle.

Through December 31, the Abbe Museum will present an exhibition exploring the crooked knife as both a useful tool and an art form in itself, with its wooden handle carved into a rich variety of images.

“Mocotaugan: The Story and Art of the Crooked Knife” examines how generations of crooked knife makers have developed the knife into a work of art, embellishing the handle with intricate designs that demonstrate the carver’s skill. It includes examples of beautifully carved crooked knives and objects crafted with this traditional tool, such a Nineteenth Century birchbark canoe, snowshoes, lacrosse sticks, ash splint baskets and wooden vessels.

The exhibition marks the first time that crooked knives from the Jalbert Collection, considered the finest holding of crooked knives, have been exhibited to the public.

The exhibition is based on the book of the same title by Massachusetts residents Ned Jalbert, who has assembled the collection, and his father, Russell Jalbert. Ned Jalbert has spent many years collecting and studying crooked knives and other Northeastern Woodlands artifacts.

The crooked knives on display demonstrate how carvers selected subjects and forms that caught their eye where they lived and traveled. Often the carvings are personal, marking the date of an important event, reproducing a lucky symbol or memorializing a loved one.

While the use of the crooked knife in the Northeast likely originated with Native Americans, its development represents one of the most long-lived examples of cultural exchange between Native and European people. Even as Europeans adapted the crooked knife for their own use, Native carvers incorporated European designs into their knife handles.

The knives in the exhibition were crafted by both Native and non-Native carvers such as sailors and woodsmen.

The museum is at 26 Mount Desert Street. For information, www.abbemuseum.org or 207-288-3519.