basket, calling card

basket, calling card

basket, calling card

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Introduction

A calling card basket decorated with moosehair embroidery and finished with sweet grass. Likely convent work from Quebec city area. This basket is one of a larger collection of items made by Thomas White (Whyte) which were donated to the Grierson Museum by his son, James Whyte Douglas, in 1863, and subsequently transferred to the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre in 1965.

Nation of Maker: Huron-Wendat
Nation of Origin

This style of moosehair embroidery was made by the Huron-Wendat.

Date Made or Date Range: 1780s to 1830
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Based on museum documentation and observations made by the GRASAC research team.

Materials

birchbark; moosehair, white, green, pink; sweet grass; black thread.

Techniques or Format

Pieces of birchbark have been sewn together and embroidered with moosehair. The pieces are edged with tufts of white moosehair sewn down with black thread.

Motifs and Patterns

Floral.

Original and Subsequent Uses

"les hommes anglais" bought these sorts of items as souvenirs for their wives.

Other Notes

The Grierson Museum label describes this item as a "basket of wampum work, American Indian."

Dimensions: 18.5 × 0 × 0 cm
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

This style of tray was made in the late 18th or early 19th century. Based on acquisition information, it was made no later than 1830.

Current Location: Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, Scotland
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: A.1965.33.af
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1965
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Grierson Museum
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: before 1830
Collection Narratives and Histories

This item is part of a larger collection acquired by the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre from the Grierson Museum in 1965. The collection was made by Thomas White (Whyte) (1783-1861). It is not known exactly when, or where, Thomas White was in Canada: he may have been a soldier stationed in Quebec around the time of the war of 1812, or he may have been visiting the family of his wife, Emily Douglas, who was related to Lord Selkirk Thomas Douglas. The items were presented to Dr. Grierson, of the Grierson Museum, in 1863 by Thomas Whyte's son, James Whyte Douglas.

Source for Provenance information

"les hommes anglais" bought these sorts of items as souvenirs for their wives

GKS Reference Number: 26762
Record Creation Context

This record was created by the GRASAC research team while in Scotland, 9 April 2007.

Record Creation Notes/Observations

On-site researchers: Cory Willmott, Heidi Bohaker, Laura Peers, Ruth Phillips, Keith Jamieson, Alan Corbiere, Alison Brown, Patricia Allen.

Approximate Place of Origin

43.6, -71.9

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