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shoulder bag of Chief John Tecumseh Henry
shoulder bag of Chief John Tecumseh Henry
shoulder bag of Chief John Tecumseh Henry
Shoulder bag with rattle snake skin appliqued to shoulder strap, and Haudenosaunee style floral images on beadwork appliqué of bag flap and front panel. Bag made of velvet, wool tape, silk ribbon and size 8 and 10 seed beads. Attributed to John Tecumseh Henry, worn at the meeting with the Prince of Wales held at Sarnia in July, 1860. Likely made in Munsee by awassiki-siko-kwe (Wasigezeegoqua), wife of Maungwudaus and mother of John Tecumseh Henry. Dr. Oronhyatekha Ethnology collection.
John Tecumseh Henry was Anishinaabe, but the beadwork is Haudenosaunee
Record states John Tecumseh Henry's mother, Wasigezeegoqua, made this bag for him.
GRASAC generated description
Read More About This Relative
Mississauga rattle snake skin, red and blue wool tape, pouch made of brown velvet with red silk lining on the flap with a paper layer in between and a cotton lining for the pouch; strap made of inexpensive black wool-cotton fabric, red and green silk ribbon, passementerie trim made of metallic threads woven into lacey pattern, now tarnished; white pony beads on strap and size 8 seed beads in white, opalescent, transparent gold, dusty rose (flap) on tassels; beads on the bag front are size 8 garnet and greasy blue, size 10 in white, turquoise, transparent green, gold metal,
Pouch is roughly square shaped, made of two fabric panels with a separate flap with a scalloped contour. Strap is separate piece that widens toward the centre. Beadwork on pouch is done in applique or lazy-stitch. Interesting use of edging stitch in shape of triangles on top of first four tassels on the top of each side. Machine sewing on centre back seam of strap, silk ribbon machine stitched to strap, beadwork is appliqued.
Worn by Maungudaus in photos of the mid 1840s and by his son John Tecumseh Henry at meeting with Prince of Wales at Sarnia in 1860
Stylized floral images
The style of the beadwork is Iroquoian.
Length of pouch including tassels - 34
Attributed to have been made in or around 1860.
Provenance
F. Barlow Cumberland, Catalogue and Notes of the Oronhyatekha Historical Collection (Toronto: Independent Order of Foresters, 1904), p 21,
Item 60. "Beaded Pouch with Snakeskin Shoulder Strap of Chief John Tecumseh Henry. Large bead pouch, highly decorated, a good specimen of Indian work. This pouch of Chief John Tecumseh Henry, as also no 59, that of his wife, have the rare Indian snakeskin covering for the shoulder straps. These and other articles in this collection (Nos. 77, 79, 89, 91), were worn by the Chief and his wife when they represented the Caradoc Indian Reserve and presented an address to the Prince of Wales on the occasion of his visit to Canada. For photograph of the Chief and his wife, in full costume, see No. 418."
About This GRASAC Record
Wasigezeegoqua, shoulder bag of Chief John Tecumseh Henry. Currently in the Royal Ontario Museum, 976x85.10. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2008; GRASAC item id 1544.
GRASAC team research trip to the Royal Ontario Museum, Dec 15-19 2008, funded by SSHRC Aboriginal Research Grant. Participants: Heidi Bohaker, Alan Corbiere, Lewis Debassige, Anne De Stecher, Darlene Johnston, Stacey Loyer, Trudy Nicks, Ruth Phillips
December 16 ethnographic team: Anne De Stecher, Cory Willmott, Ruth Phillips, Trudy Nicks with the assistance of Tracey Forester
42.82068, -81.43766
Maungwudaus was from Munsee whose members included Anishinaabe, Onkwehonwe, and Lenape. The presence of Onkwehonwe style beadwork on this bag is further evidence that it was probably made there.