deer hide, lightly smoked; porcupine quills, natural and dyed red and black; linen, white or cream; glass pony beads, white; metal cones; deer hair, dyed red; string; ribbon, silk

The bag's front is made from loom-woven quillwork strips sewn vertically together, a highly unusual technique. A strip is also sewn horizontally, across the bag's bottom. Its front flap is constructed of short, vertically-oriented loomed quillwork strips. Decoration is also found under the flap. The bag is fully lined with white or cream linen, woven in a way that gives it a satin-like sheen. The colour of the horizontal band found at the bag's bottom is brighter than the vertical strips. Metal tinkle cones containing red dyed hair are attached with string to the bag's lower edge and sides. Remnants of silk ribbon are found on the bag's top and on one side.

Geometric designs - stepped diamonds, rectangles, stepped zigzag lines decorate the bag. As well, two human figures wearing what appear to be hats are found on the bag's front, in the centre, and eight similar figures are found across the flap. The eight figures across the flap are asymmetrically coloured.

Human figures wearing hats are often depictions of Europeans. For example, similar figures have been found on Haudenosaunee combs and in Anishinaabe graphics.

According to James O'Neil (researcher, Ohio), "The designs of the people... are fascinating as they show up on only two other items in collections [I know of]. One item that has them is the prisoner halter or tie in the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association. These same figures are on a tumpline or burden strap in the Deutches Ledermuseum, Frankfurt" (Pitt Rivers Museum Object Catalogue).

According to Cory Silverstein, "the human figures suggest the theme of diplomatic/trade alliance with the British. The bag may have been intended to be given in the context of a diplomatic gift exchange" (Pitt Rivers Museum Object Catalogue).

The bag's form is modeled on a British army officer's bag: its square-shaped body and flap are similar to those of a shot pouch or ammunition bag. This item is the sort military officers often collected. RP thinks it may have been made for a British army officer on commission, or for an Aboriginal warrior. If it was made for a warrior, there is a greater chance it was used. It is unclear whether this bag was actually used.

At first, the GRASAC research team considered possibility that this bag might have been made out of an older burden strap or another item, but several features argue against this idea. Firstly, the motifs featured are human figures and need to be oriented vertically-- secondly, loomed quillwork was used in traditional way horizontally on this bag-- thirdly, overall effect is similar to moosehair false embroidery.

The silk ribbon, white pony beads lead us to think that the item was manufactured sometime in the 18th century.

This item is part of a collection loaned to the Pitt Rivers Museum by Colonel Shirley in 1952 and purchased from his son, Major Shirley in January 1966. There is a possibility that this coat was formerly owned by James Bisset and acquired by Colonel Shirley through the Leamington Museum. (Pitt Rivers Museum Object Catalogue entry)

Mowat, Linda. "Painted Coats for a Coronation? (Research Notes)," Journal of Museum Ethnography 8 (1996): 109-110.

This record was created as part of a Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) research trip to the Pitt Rivers Museum and British Museum, December 8-22 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunities fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), Al Corbiere (AC), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Laura Peers (LP), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).