tabbed bag

tabbed bag

tabbed bag

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Introduction

A bag with two tabs ornamented with quill-embroidered thunderbrid holding an otter in one talon. Great Lakes or Plains. Collected by Harry Geoffrey Beasley. Previously in the Blackmore Museum in Salisbury, it was donated to the British Museum by Mrs. Irene Marguerite Beasley in 1944.

Nation of Maker: Other
Nation of Origin

The British Museum object catalogue lists this item as Delaware or Plains.

Place of Origin: Oklahoma, USA
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Created from information in the British Museum object catalogue.

Materials

Animal hide, blackened; porcupine quills; wool; metal; cloth; animal hair, dyed red; white beads.

Techniques or Format

Made from blackened animal hide. Decorated with porcupine quills and beads.

Motifs and Patterns

The thunderbird motif has a heart line. His left claw appears to be grasping something, possibly an otter.

Dimensions: 26.46 × 11.11 × 0 cm
Current Location: British Museum, London, UK
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: Am1944,02.242
Collection at Current Location: Beasley Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1944
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Irene Marguerite Beasley
Collection Narratives and Histories

Collected by Harry Geoffrey Beasley. Previously in the Blackmore Museum in Salisbury, it was donated to the British Museum by Mrs. Irene Marguerite Beasley in 1944.

Publication History

JCH King, 'First Peoples, First Contacts,' (British Museum Press, 1999) p.64.
JCH King, 'Thunderbird and Lightning,' (British Museum Press, 1982) p.65.

GKS Reference Number: 26429
How to Cite this Item

Unknown Plains artist, tabbed bag. Currently in the British Museum, Am1944,02.242. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 26429.

Record Creation Context

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, Dec.8-22, 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunity fund of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Alan Corbiere (AC), Jonathan King (JK), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).

Approximate Place of Origin

43.0703, -80.1184

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