pouch

pouch

pouch

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Introduction

Pouch with underwater panther motif. the Speyer and Sir Walter Scott Collections. Eastern Great Lakes, Ottawa type.

Nation of Maker: American American
Nation of Origin

Ottawa type (CMC record)

Date Made or Date Range: 1800s
Materials

possibly tanned, dyed deer skin; coarse brown stroud with pilling (HL says it must have been worn to pill in that way); linen thread, cotton thread, two ply twisted vegetable fiber or sinew(?); dyed red deer hair, metal cones, porcupine quills (red, orange, blue, green, yellow, white)

Techniques or Format

Quill work in zigzag band, simple line and one-quill edging techniques.

Motifs and Patterns

The Underwater Panther on this pouch is surrounded by concentric rectangular borders, one of which is composed of a bold castellated line. The concentric motifs create the illusion that we are seeing the manito at the bottom of a downward-funnelling passage into the underworld, while the castellated line is a motif commonly used to represent the powers of the underworld spirits (Phillips, 1984).

Dimensions: 23.5 × 18.5 × 0 cm
Condition: excellent; some wear on the bottom edge of stroud
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

(Phillips, 1984) c. 1800

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: III-M-6
Collection at Current Location: Speyer Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1973
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: A. Speyer
Collection Narratives and Histories

Formerly in the collection of Sir Walter Scott; acquired by Speyer after 1968 from the W. Scott Museum, Abbotsford, Scotland. (CMC record)

Exhibition History

Art Gallery of Ontario, "From the four quarters", 19 March 1984 - 23 May 1984
McMichael Canadian Collection, "Patters of Power", 14 October 1984 - 6 January 1985

Publication History

Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.

Sources to Learn More

Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.

GKS Reference Number: 26573
Approximate Place of Origin

44.736, -88.788