Materials

animal hide; skin, wild duck; commercial cotton; metal cones; fabric, commercial cotton; sinew; commercial cotton yarn; porcupine quills, natural and dyed red, yellow, black and blue.

Techniques or Format

Made of animal hide with a fabric panel on the lower portion of the front. The upper section is decorated with porcupine quillwork. The middle section, directly below the opening of the bag, has a band of quillwork and a undulating lower edge, with each lobe decorated with two quill-wrapped tassels terminating in tinkle cones. The lower section is covered with three pieces of cloth, sewn together, with a quill-wrapped leather thong fringe at the bottom, ending in tinkle cones.

According to the Beltrami Collection catalogue author, Leonardo Vigorelli, "Il fronte della borsa, originariamente costituito da pelle di anatra selvatica, di cui rimangono frammenti nelle cuciture, reca ora in sostituzione un inserto di tessuto di cotone commerciale cucito con tendine." (p. 62) [The front of the bag, originally consisting of skin wild duck, of which fragments remain in the seams, has been replaced by an insert of commercial cotton fabric, from curtains.]

Motifs and Patterns

deer?; thunderbird; circles

Other Notes

Vigorelli in the Beltrami Collection catalogue states:" Il fronte della borsa, originariamente costituito da pelle di anatra selvatica, di cui rimangono frammenti nelle cuciture, reca ora in sostituzione un inserto di tessuto di cotone commerciale cucito con tendine." (p. 62)

Dimensions: 31 × 0 × 0 cm

Condition: Good. There has been some quill loss, and loss of tinkle cones.

Current Location: Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali, Bergamo, Italy

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: grasac_1523

Collection at Current Location: Collezione Beltrami

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1850s

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: The CIvic Library of Bergamo

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1823

Collection Narratives and Histories

Collected by G.C. Beltrami from Wisconsin in 1823. Beltrami's collection catalogue states that around 1856, Beltrami's nephew donated several objects to the Civic Library of Bergamo, which were later transferred to the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali.

Exhibition History

The Beltrami Collection was exhibited in Florence in 1929 during the "Prima Esposizione Nazionale di Storia delle Scienze" (First National Exposition of History of Sciences"). In 1973, during a celebration of the Beltrami exhibit, Glauco Luchetti donated three objects from his own collection, which were located in Beltrami's last house in Filottrano, to the "Museo Civico E. Caffi". In 1987 the collection was used in the exhibit entitled "Missisippi 1823. Oggetti indiani raccolti da G. Costantino Beltrami" in the Galleria Lorenzelli in Bergamo.

Publication History

The Beltrami Collection catalogue. Vigorelli, Gli Oggetti indiani raccolti da G.Costantino Beltrami (p.62).

Sources to Learn More

Leonardo Vigorelli, Gli Oggetti indiani raccolti da G.Costantino Beltrami, Civico Museo E. Caffi, Bergamo, 1987.

GKS Reference Number: 27218

Record Creation Context

This record was created by Emanuela Rossi after a trip funded by GRASAC to the Museo Civico E. Caffi in Bergamo, Italy in October 2008.

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Researcher present: Emanuela Rossi.