tray, wiigwaas and sweetgrass

tray, wiigwaas and sweetgrass

tray, wiigwaas and sweetgrass

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Introduction

This is relative is an Anishinaabe (possibly Ojibwe) wiigwaas (birchbark) and sweetgrass tray, from Northern Michigan. It has a floral motif in the center made from kaawyikewin (quillwork). 

This relative was collected by Amos H. Gottschall between 1871 and 1905. His collection was likely left to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANS) sometime before 1937. ANS formally gifted the collection to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1997, where this relative currently resides.

Name of Maker(s): Maker Unrecorded
Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe Ojibwe
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

"Chippewa" (Ojibwe) is written on the catalogue card.

Place of Origin: Michigan (Northern Michigan), USA
Date Made or Date Range: Before 1905
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

The information in this record is based on museum documentation.

Materials

birch bark; porcupine quills natural and dyed green, orange, pink, dark purple, light purple; purple/blue; sweetgrass; dark thread

Techniques or Format

A circular bottom made of birch bark around which are rows of bunched sweetgrass wrapped with dark thread. One row of sweetgrass is done in an undulating line. The top and inner bottom rows of bunched sweetgrass also have coloured quills wrapped in with them. There are double tacks with quills on the bottom.

Motifs and Patterns

There is a floral design made from kaawyikewin (quillwork).

Other Notes

Possibly in a pair with Penn 97-84-140.

Dimensions: 17 × 16.8 × 4.6 cm
Condition: There are some broken and missing quills.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Gottschall collected between 1871 and 1905.

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 97-84-139 (Penn number); L-84-139 (old museum number); 18020 (ANS number); II 265 (Gottschall number)
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/270068
Collection at Current Location: Amos H. Gottschall Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1997
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Gift of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1997
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1871 to 1905
Collection Narratives and Histories

The tray was collected by Amos H. Gottschall between 1871 and 1905. His collection was likely left to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANS) sometime before 1937. ANS formally gifted the collection to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1997, where this relative currently resides.

Source for Provenance information

Museum documentation.

Publication History

Gottschall, Amos H. Priced and Descriptive Catalogue of the Utensils, Implements, Weapons, Ornaments, Etc., of the Indians, Mound Builders, Cliff Dwellers: Typical Collections No. 2. 1909. (See: II 265)

GKS Reference Number: 25526
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Tray, wiigwaas and sweetgrass. GRASAC ID 25526. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 97-84-139.

Record Creation Context

This information was gathered during a GRASAC research visit to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology on May 6, 2010.
This record was augmented by Joy Kruse on March 5, 2025.

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