Materials

tanned, haired, deerskin; deep red-orange, black, white, and yellow porcupine quills; feathers; animal hair; fur; splints; red ochre

Techniques or Format

The headband is made of two pieces of hide sewn together at the front and back. Two projecting tabs at the back, which are extensions of the main body have attached to them two quill-wrapped thongs that hang down with feathers on the end. Traces of mostly black hair remain on the hide, but most of the hair is gone. The front seam is covered by one square piece of hide tacked in place, flanked by two quill wrapped splints. In between the inner splint and the backing, two feathers are inserted, one on top of the other. The shafts of the feather are wrapped with red thread which (probably added later), which have another quill wrapped splint along the quill. The lower feather is red and the upper is black. To the top of the upper feather is attached to a short red fluff feather and bundled animal hair. This was once wrapped with fur, which survives on the left hand feather. Quill wrapped splints (one of which is now broken into a number of sections), extend along each of the sides. In addition there is a quill wrapped thong tacked to either side of the splint in a wavy pattern. Above the front centre seam there is quill embroidery in a linear motif of stacked lozenges bisected by a vertical line. There is a vertical line of zigzag band quill embroidery on either side of that motif. The quill wrapped splints have interwoven vertical quills that make checker board patterns alternating with plain areas of quill wrapping. The feathers at the end of one of the streamers that hang down the back of the band is cut to a fine zigzag saw tooth pattern on the edges. The inner edges of the lower red feathers are cut in a very broad zigzag. Traces of red ochre remain on the inside of the band.

Motifs and Patterns

Decorated with geometric motifs.

Dimensions: 0 × 0 × 0 mm

Condition: Very good, except for hair loss from the hide. The colours are gorgeously bright – they are a deep red orange and a yellow, black and white.

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

collected by a military officer related to the Duke of Atholl who was in North America between the late 1750s and the 1770s.

Current Location: Blair Castle, Pitlochry, Scotland

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: unnumbered

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1759-1768

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Probably Lieut. James Murray, Capt. George Murray, or Lieut. Alexander Farquharson

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1759-1768

Collection Narratives and Histories

It is most likely that the collector or collectors of the 18th century North American indigenous items now at Blair Castle were soldiers related to the Duke of Atholl who fought in North America during the Seven Years' War (specifically between 1759 and 1768). These include the Duke’s nephews, Lieut. James Murray of the 42nd Highland Regiment (Black Watch) and Captain George Murray, Royal Navy. Another possible source is Lieut. Alexander Farquharson, who collected Great Lakes indigenous items for his patron, ? Farquharson, Laird of Invercauld and husband of the Duke’s niece, Lady Sinclair. A 1768 letter in the Blair Castle archives shows that Capt. George Murray, then returned to Europe, had sent things both to the Duke and to the Lady Sinclair and her mother. Lieut. James Murray and Alexander Farquharson fought in the army of Lord Amherst, which moved up from New York City, along the Hudson River, Lake George, and Lake Champlain to Montreal in 1759-60, fighting alongside Hodenosaunee and Anishinaabe allies. The items at Blair Castle could have originated amongst either, but the location of Amherst's army through Mohawk and other Hodenosaunee territories makes a Hodenosaunee origin especially likely for many of them.

GKS Reference Number: 25209

Record Creation Context

GRASAC site visit April 28, 2009. Participants: Alison Brown, Henrietta Lidchi, Ruth Phillips and Nancy Wachowich, assisted by Blair Castle archivist Jane Anderson.