Wool and linen cloth; green silk ribbon; porcupine quills, blue, yellow, red; thongs; metal cones; red-dyed animal hair; sheet-silver insets.

Quill work in netted technique on thongs, forming the front and back panels; quill-wrapping over side seams; metal cones with tassels of red-dyed animal hair; engraved sheet-silver insets.

The sheet-silver insets are marked CA MONTREAL engraved with branches of leaves, a basket of flowers and wavy lines.

the tradition associated with this unusual pouch states that it was 'worn at the belt of one of Tecumseh's braves'. The design is the same on both sides. The maker of the silver band, Charles Arnoldi, was active between 1779 and 1817, which supports an early 19C. date. The way in which the flower basket motif has been cut off in the middle sugests that the silver band may have been adapted for use on the pouch from some other function, perhaps a headband. Two other nearly identical netted quill work panels displaying Thunderbirds surrounded by lightning are documented to the Anishinaabe and to the Georgian Bay area. See Patterns of Power Cat. 66.

Patterns of Power: early nineteenth century

Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg,On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.