bag

bag

bag

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Introduction

This black buckskin bag is decorated with ornate quillwork along the border of the bag as well as the flap, presenting colours of green, black, orange and white. The base of this ancestor is brown, which may have been the result of smoking. The back of this bag is made of corduroy, which is likely a late repair. This ancestor has rare quillwork techniques of single-fold bands and plaited edge stitches. An underwater panther, or mishibizhiig, can be seen on the centre of the front panel of this ancestor. This ancestor is located in the Detroit Institute of Art. 

Traditional Knowledge Label
TK Culturally Sensitive
TK Culturally Sensitive

This material has cultural and/or historical sensitivities

Maker role: Artist
Nation of Maker: Odawa
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

The origin is listed as Cross Village, Michigan.

Place of Origin: Cross Village, Emmett County, MI
Date Made or Date Range: 1780
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Detroit Institute of Arts records, and GRASAC research visit to the DIA.

Materials

buckskin, quills and corduroy

Techniques or Format

Backed with corduroy. Quills dyed and embroidered along the borders. GRASAC researchers observed this is a rare example with three types of quillwork techniques: single-fold bands, plaited edging stitch, and one other. Smoking of hide.

Motifs and Patterns

Underwater panther in center. Diagonal pattern in the coloured panel at the top can be identified.

Additional Context

GRASAC researchers noted that this bag matches in style and theme a bag with two underwater panthers in the Cranbrook collection. The darkened colour was probably achieved by smoking according to David Penney. Cory Willmott noted that corduroy did exist at the date given for the bag, so it may be the original back, though it's unusual.

Dimensions: 5.625 × 0 × 6.25 in
Condition: Damaged area on front. Corduroy backing is probably a late repair.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

DIA records; materials present in the bag (e.g. corduroy)

Current Location: Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 81.487
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://dia.org/collection/bag-56222
Collection at Current Location: Albert G. Heath Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1981
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Richard A. Pohrt
Collection Narratives and Histories

Collected by Albert G. Heath, who was a dealer, active in the early 1920s, in Chicago, Illinois, and Harbor Springs, Michigan, USA. This was collected at Cross Village, Michigan, USA

Milford G. Chandler [1889-1981]

acquired by Richard A. Pohrt [1911-2005] (Flint, Michigan, USA)

1981-present, purchased 1981 by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA

Source for Provenance information

As states on Detroit Institute of Arts Catalogue

Sources to Learn More

The National Museum of American History has in its collections the business card for Albert G. Heath "Wholesale Dealer in Everything for the Indian Trade," for his Chicago-based business, Accession Number 2008.3006.190, guid:ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac9905704be05315f76fa0b4fa

GKS Reference Number: 24505
How to Cite this Item

Unknown Odawa Maker. "bag". GRASAC ID 24505, located in the Detroit Institute of Arts, catalogue number 81.487.

Record Creation Context

Record augmented by Natasha Fares in December 2023.

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Images for this bag were removed on February 14, 2024 to respect an Agreement between the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Michigan Anishinaabek Communities of Practice.

Approximate Place of Origin

45.6426, -85.036

Source of Information about Places

Cross Village, Michigan listed in DIA Records.

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