Bag

Bag

Bag

top image
Images
Introduction

An oval-shaped hide bag decorated with two horizontal rows quillwork and lavish bead fringing. Likely Mushkegowuk or Eeyou made in the nineteenth century. This item is part of a collection donated to the Pitt Rivers Museum by Colonel Shirley in 1952.

Nation of Origin

The bag's two horizontal rows quillwork, not loomed, and red ochre borders on bands of quillwork suggest that it may be of Dene origin. However, the colour combinations found in its beaded fringe, and the looped ends of the tassels are characteristic of Mushkegowuk or Eeyou items.

Date Made or Date Range: 1800s to 1952
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Pitt Rivers Object catalogue and observations made by the GRASAC research team.

Materials

Hide, caribou or deer; hide thong; porcupine quills, cream and red; glass beads, red, green, white, blue, black and yellow; woollen yarn; sinew; ochre paint.

Techniques or Format

The bag's body is made of caribou or deer hide, with a rounded bottom, rather than the more commonly found square-shape. Its front is decorated with two bands of zig zag quillwork done with red and cream coloured quills, and a fringe of tassels made of green, red, white, blue, black and yellow glass beads ending with wool tufts. The strap is made two cords or thongs which are wrapped together with quills. The bag's colours, as well as the style of quill banding and the looped fringe, are characteristic of Mushkegowuk (Western James Bay Cree) or Eeyou (Eastern James Bay, Quebec-Cree) items.

Dimensions: 65 × 0 × 0 cm
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

According to Laura Peers, this item was made with 19th century materials.

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 1952.5.011
Collection at Current Location: Shirley Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1966
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Colonel Shirley, through his son Major Shirley
Collection Narratives and Histories

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.

Publication History

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

GKS Reference Number: 26696
Record Creation Context

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).

Record Creation Notes/Observations

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).

Approximate Place of Origin

43.6, -71.9