birchbark container

birchbark container

birchbark container

top image
Images
Introduction

High sided birchbark basket. ?Spruce root used for seams. Porcupine quills are interwoven into a decorative border on the rim and the decorative binding at four quadrants of the rim is made of very coarse black animal hair and what appears to be red wool. This is all wrapped around a woodsplint rim. Grafito design of three bands of geometric designs that alternate between striped and sawtooth edged diagonal motifs. Binding around rim is sewn as to form a zigzag contour.

Name of Maker(s): Unknown maker
Maker role: Community/family member
Nation of Maker: Northern Ojibwe or Cree
Nation of Origin

Possible origin Northern Cree - suggested by Ruth Phillips during a 2008 reserahc visit.

Date Made or Date Range: prior to 1922
Materials

birch bark, spruce root, porcupine quill, wool, hair

Techniques or Format

quillwork

Motifs and Patterns

Grafito design of three bands of geometric designs that alternate between striped and sawtooth edged diagonal motifs. Binding around rim is sewn as to form a zigzag contour.

Dimensions: 258 × 222 × 259 mm
Condition: good
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Item acquired by collection in 1922. See collection & acquisition tab for more details

Current Location: University of Aberdeen Museums & Special Collections, Aberdeen, Scotland
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: ABDUA:5519
Link to Institution's Collections Database: ABDUA:5519 CALMView
Collection at Current Location: ABDUA University of Aberdeen Human Culture Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1922-1923
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Lady Sydney Charlotte Montagu Keith-Falconer, 9th Countess of Kintore
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: likely between 1893-1905
Collection Narratives and Histories

Most likely collected by donor on one of her trips in 1893, 1898, c1900 or 1905 - See travel journals in Special Collections: MS 3064/3/9/1; MS 3064/3/9/2

GKS Reference Number: 59101
How to Cite this Item

“Birchbark container”, catalogue number ABDUA:5519 in the University of Aberdeen Museums and Special Collections, is licenced under CC By 4.0

Record Creation Context

Created as part of the Caring and Sharing project 2020-2022

Approximate Place of Origin

45.8, -83.9

Source of Information about Places

Possible origin Northern Cree - suggested by Ruth Phillips during a 2008 research visit.

Do You Have Knowledge to Contribute? Share with Us.