Materials

Smoked moosehide, natural color; porcupine quill, orange/red, black, white; metal cones; either vegetable fibre or tendon.

Techniques or Format

Heel seam in T construction. Cones: 4 pairs of two on each side.

Center seam covered by a band of zigzag quill work. Gathers over the toe.

Edge of cuff finished by a thong wrapped with quill attached to the cuff.

Quill work in zigzag and oversewn stitches.

There is a band of zigzag quill work over the heel seam.

The center seam over the toe area is made with regular gathers.

Motifs and Patterns

On the vamp, the motif is a loop, rather than a double curve or fiddlehead shape.

Other Notes

One moccasin only, not a pair.

Dimensions: 24.5 × 10.5 × 9.5 cm

Condition: Good. Some quill work missing but the hide is very supple, was very well tanned and not damaged.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

This pair of moccasins is listed in the 1792 inventory done of the collection of the Bibliothèque Municipale de Versailles. Autumn Epple believes based on style and materials that it dates between 1700 and 1760.

Current Location: Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, Paris, France

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 71.1934.33.18

Link to Institution's Collections Database: www.quaibranly.fr

Collection Narratives and Histories

This work came originally from the collection of the Bibliothèque Municipale de Versailles, which includes the collection of Charles Phillipe Fayolle, begun in the 1750s. He collected up to the time of the French Revolution and continued to collect until his death in 1804. His collection became part of the Bibliothèque Municipale de Versailles at the time of the French Revolution, 1792. Material continued to be added to this collection in the nineteenth century. The collection was moved to the Musée de l’Homme (Amérique) and from there to the Musée du quai Branly.

Related language items in the GKS: mkizin

GKS Reference Number: 1341

How to Cite this Item

Unknown artist, moccasin. Currently in the Musée du quai Branly, 71.1934.33.18. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip; GRASAC item id 1341.

Record Creation Context

This record was created by Anne de Stecher during an RAship for Prof. Ruth Phillips.

Copyright

This record will be open access on the completion of Anne de Stecher's dissertation in 2011.