birchbark; porcupine quills, natural and dyed purple, yellow, pink, green, orange; split root (cedar or spruce); beige thread; ash splint.

Lid: the top and sides are attached together with beige thread. Thin split cedar or spruce root lies under the quill criss-cross edging. The bottom edge of the lid has a line of split root lashed with thinner split root. A row of chained diamonds in purple quills decorates the sides of the lid. The outer piece is tacked together at the side with natural porcupine quills. It is also sewn to the insert with thread.

Natural quills have been used to tack down the lid and on the base.

Box: The box has an insert (horizontal grain) made from a different type of birchbark than the outer layer (vertical grain). The rim of the insert is reinforced by an ash splint sewn down with beige thread. The outer layer is edged on the top and bottom with split root tacked down with porcupine quills (natural) on the top, as well as on the bottom. The bottom was also sewn down first with beige thread, with the tacking over top.

floral and chained diamonds

Gottschall collected between 1880-1914.

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, May 6 2010.