ball, deerskin

ball, deerskin

ball, deerskin

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Introduction

This deerskin ball is part of a war bundle. The deerskin ball has traces of blue pigment and hangs as a pendant from a mass of black twisted cord with a few quill wrappings. The quills are natural, brown and blue in color.  Worked into the twisted cord are two antler powder measures and one bone cylinder. In addition to the deerskin ball, the bundle contains a miniature baagndibe'gan (war club), feet and tail of a mshiikenh (snapping turtle), headdress, necklace, rattle, and bandolier sash. The bundle was collected by M.G. Chandler in Bkejwanong, Walpole Island, where local knowledge connected the bundle to Pontiac. The subsequent collector, Richard A. Pohrt thought the bundle was not old enough for this connection and thought the bundle might be related to Tecumseh instead. This relative and bundle currently reside at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Traditional Knowledge Label
TK Culturally Sensitive
TK Culturally Sensitive

This material has cultural and/or historical sensitivities

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

DIA Records

Place of Origin: Michigan, USA
Date Made or Date Range: 1700s
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Detroit Institute of Arts records

Materials

deerskin, pigment, cord, porcupine quill and antler

Techniques or Format

The deerskin ball, with traces of blue pigment, hangs as a pendant from a mass of black twisted cord with a few quill wrappings (colored natural, brown and blue). Worked into the twisted cord are two antler powder measures and one bone cylinder.

Other Notes

length of cord: 25 in., Item found in war bundle: See also 81.174.1-13.

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

DIA records

Current Location: Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 81.174.7
Collection at Current Location: Chandler Pohrt 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 M. G. Chandler at Walpole Island, Ontario. Local tradition indicated this was part of the war bundle of Pontiac, Ottawa chief. According to Pohrt, the material is not old enough to have belonged to Pontiac; Chandler's informant may have meant Tecumseh.

Source for Provenance information

DIA Records

GKS Reference Number: 25971
Record Creation Context

This record was augmented by Cara Krmpotich on January 26, 2024.

Approximate Place of Origin

42.358543917497, -83.451925410814

Source of Information about Places

DIA records

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