Shot pouch

Shot pouch

Shot pouch

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Introduction

Shot pouch made of brown twill fabric, decorated with floral design. Mistissini Cree, made before 1910. Collected by Frank G. Speck.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

NMAI catalog card.

Date Made or Date Range: 1880s to 1910
Materials

Made of brown twill fabric, cotton fabric, glass beads, sinew, thread.

Techniques or Format

Twill bag with a bilaterally symmetrical floral beaded design which continues under flap. Flap fastened to bag with a button and buttonhole.

Motifs and Patterns

Central rosette and four-lobed flowers exhibit two and three colours while rosebud has a rose-colored upper section with the lower section green.

Original and Subsequent Uses

Shot pouches were used as containers to hold shot, percussion caps and gun powder. The size of the hunter's fist determined the size of the bag (Oberholtzer 2005: 295).

Other Notes

Cath Oberholtzer notes "The Mistassini explain the decoration of clothing and hunting equipment as not only showing respect to the prey but also ensuring that the spirit of the object "does its proper job in the hunt" (Tanner 1979:142). According to Tanner, although the Mistissini were reluctant to provide any direct symbolic meaning, they did reveal that the instructions for making the decorations on the various charms and items of hunting equipment are dreamed by the hunters, although some wives may decide the correct design" (Oberholtzer 2005:293). Cath Oberholtzer, "Material Culture of the Mistissini Cree: Local Expression or Regional Style?" Papers of the Thirty-sixth Algonquian Conference. Christoph Wolfart, editor. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba. pp. 287-321.

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

NMAI catalog card.

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 2/8921
GKS Reference Number: 26034
How to Cite this Item

Item to be cited by accession number, collection and institution.