Materials

Black dyed, tanned skin, porcupine quills (orange, white and black), glass beads, brass cones, red-dyed hair, rather than sinew (as noted in CMC record) probably two-ply vegetable fiber

Techniques or Format

Skin is longer in the back than front, forming a pocket. Edgeing of alternated white and deep purple glass beads )originally around whole pouch, now only partial).
(Adding to the cat. Record): 2 techniques of zig-zag band: one is one-quill zig-zag (the red quills); 2-quill zig-zag band is alternating black and white quills. Folded along one side, seamed along opposite side and bottom. Along horizontal top of bag opening is 1-quill edging technique in alternating block of red, black and white. Evidence of attachment of strap.
Sinew or vegetable fibre has been used for quillwork; Sinew or vegetable fibre for sewing. Previous attachment of shoulder strap is marked by cotton thread stitching at top of pouch.

Motifs and Patterns

One large Thunderbird, flanked by two smaller ones; power line; geometric quilled bands.

Other Notes

Danglers of skin thong, brass cone and red dyed hair are attached in pairs at upper pocket and were presumably originally attached along bottom edge.

Resisting a specific tribal attribution when all we have is, For ex., "from Mackinac" where lots of people were coming through. Ruth Phillips suggests "Anishinaabe" as attribution. She notes the wampum-style beads along the side.

Louis Debassige notes the central image with "beating heart" defined, and the "shoulder epilettes" the latter as unusual, the white ones pointing down, black up; colors are faded, orange probably was once red; very large quills along top. AC elaborates on LD: "they say the Thunders travel in families; the ones that rumbling are grandparents, children the lightning" ; the main figure has "head in the clouds" or can read the tiny head as turning into the wavy power line (RP). RP: feathers look more "wing-like" than in other examples.

Dimensions: 26 × 18 × 0 cm

Condition: Damage to quillwork; glass beads missing; metal cone tassels missing; quills faded; holes in the skin.

Current Location: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa, Canada

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: III-M-2

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Duke of Gotha, Speyer

Collection Narratives and Histories

Duke of Gotha, Speyer

Exhibition History

Bojoo Neejee - April 1976-August 1979

Sources to Learn More

Benndorf and Speyer (1986)
additional label stored in Archives, and a copy in Speyer collector's file

GKS Reference Number: 25552