unsmoked hide, possibly moose; porcupine quills, blue, red and white; possibly moosehair; red ochre paint; pony beads, black and white; metal cones

The sheath is made of thick unsmoked hide, possibly moose. The front and back panels have been sewn together. Braided, folded and wrapped quillwork techniques are found on this item. The front is completely covered with quill embroidery done with various folding techniques. The seams are bound in fine quillwork or moosehair. Red ochre paint is found on the seams. Tassels are made of black and white pony beads, terminating in metal cones.

Black and white beads found in the fringe may be glass wampum.

18th century, because of the glass wampum beads in the fringe.

This item is part of a collection loaned to the Pitt Rivers Museum by Colonel Shirley in 1952 and purchased from his son, Major Shirley in January 1966. There is a possibility that this coat was formerly owned by James Bisset and acquired by Colonel Shirley through the Leamington Museum. (Pitt Rivers Museum Object Catalogue entry)

Mowat, Linda. "Painted Coats for a Coronation? (Research Notes)," Journal of Museum Ethnography 8 (1996): 109-110.

This record was created as part of a Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) research trip to the Pitt Rivers Museum and British Museum, December 8-22 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunities fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), Al Corbiere (AC), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Laura Peers (LP), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).