birchbark; porcupine quills, natural and dyed brown, orange and dark purple; sweetgrass; green commercial thread;

This container is made of birchbark decorated with quillwork. Sweetgrass wrapped with green commercial thread is secured along the bottom of the lid to form a trim. It appears that the quillwork on the body of the container only goes up half-way along the sides, allowing the lid to fit securely over top.

Possible floral design against natural birchbark background on lid; orange and dark purple four-petalled flower or quatrefoil (?) with brown centre, and possibly four radiating purple leaves (?)

Quatrefoils may be a possible adaptation of the wild rose which grew vastly throughout Anishinaabe territory; four-petalled flowers may be possible indication of the four-quadrants. (See: Frances Densmore, "Chippewa Customs", Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 86, Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1929, pp 186).

Lid is a little tight, refrained from removing entirely. "S. John 964" is written on the bottom of the quill box in pen, possible indication of artist's name (?)

Museum documentation

Collected by Pieter Hovens in 1998 during a field trip