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quilled belt
quilled belt
quilled belt
This relative, an unfinished Athabaskan quill belt, is made of bands of finely woven quillwork in colourful geometric designs similar to those used throughout the Great Lakes and western sub-Arctic areas. The design is composed of linked or chained diamond pattern that is woven into the belt's central piece, bordered by zig-zag lines. The origins of the belt are not certain, however, it was donated to the Royal Dublin Society during the nineteenth century.
This relative currently resides at the National Museum of Ireland.
Athabaskan
This record draws on images and information recorded in Ruth Phillips's book, Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.
Read More About This Relative
Sinew; porcupine quills, blue, yellow, red, natural white; birchbark; sticks; moosehide; red woollen yarn.
This is a woven quillwork. Quills were woven on a warp of sinew or vegetable fibre and kept in place by weft threads hidden by the tightness of the weave. The warps were threaded through a piece of thick bark that was evenly perforated with holes laced at one end of the weaving, and the whole piece was then stretched taut by tying it to a fixed point on a bow loom.
A linked or chained diamond pattern is woven into the belt's central piece, bordered by zig-zag lines. Along the centre of the belt, there are squares positioned on their points, suggesting the shape of a diamond. The squares are linked, alternating between white and blue in colour and are bordered by a zig-zag pattern that also alternates in colour. The zig-zag pattern at the top of the belt is matched by the same pattern along the bottom. Beginning from the exterior border, the zig-zag colour pattern is as follows: blue, white, blue, red, blue, white, blue, red, blue, white, blue.
The function of this relative was probably cultural, but it may have also been political, symbolic, and communicative.
This record draws on images and information recorded in Ruth Phillips's book, Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.
Provenance
Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.
About This GRASAC Record
Maker, Name unrecorded. Unfinished quill belt. GRASAC ID 1099. National Museum of Ireland Collection NMI 1881.2991.
This record draws on images and information recorded in Ruth Phillips's book, Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984. This record was augmented by Dana Murray on June 8, 2024.
Athabascan