Knowledge Sharing Platform
box
box
box
Moosehair embroidered birch bark box likely made by the Huron-Wendat community of Wendake (Lorette), as part of their nineteenth century souvenir arts tradition. Images on the box show figures of men and women walking, smoking pipes, dressed in traditional clothing. Some women carry baskets, possibly a reference to the community's successful commodity production of the nineteenth century. Trees and flowers create a landscape, and with a large bird characteristic of the community's work.
The Huron-Wendat were well-known for souvenir arts such as this case.
deStecher, Annette. Engaged Histories: Wendat Women’s Souvenir Artsof Cultural Preservation and Entrepreneurial Invention. PhD dissertation. Ottawa: Carleton University, 2013.Museum Catalogue, dissertation research, Anne de Stecher.
Read More About This Relative
Birch bark, dyed moosehair in blue, green, shades of brown,black, orange/red; cotton thread.
The moosehair stitches go through the birch bark, with a second piece of birch bark to cover the back of the stitching and hold it in place. Satin stitch is mainly used in this example, however the berry stitch also appears in the flowers. The technique of graduated color is used in the flowers.
Figures of men and women walking, smoking pipes, dressed in traditional clothing. Some women carry baskets, possibly a reference to the successful Wendat commodity production of the nineteenth century. Trees and flowers create a landscape. The large size of the birds in relation to the size of the people is characteristic of Wendat work.
Moosehair embroidered souvenir works such as this were made by the Huron-Wendat community of Wendake (Lorette) in the nineteenth century. The moosehair appears to be coloured with vegetable dyes rather than aniline, suggesting a pre-1857 date. Autumn Epple believes based on the materials and the clothing of the people in the images, the box dates between 1800 and 1850.
Provenance
This work came originally from the collection of the Bibliothèque Municipale de Versailles, which includes the collection of Charles Phillipe Fayolle, begun in the 1750s. He collected up to the time of the French Revolution and continued to collect until his death in 1804. His collection became part of the Bibliothèque Municipale de Versailles at the time of the French Revolution, 1792. Material continued to be added to this collection in the nineteenth century. The collection was moved to the Musée de l’Homme (Amérique) and from there to the Musée du quai Branly.A.deS.
About This GRASAC Record
Unknown artist, box. Currently in the Musée du quai Branly, 71.1934.33.41. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip; GRASAC item id 1291.
This record was created by Anne de Stecher during an RAship for Prof. Ruth Phillips.
This record will be restricted until the completion of Anne de Stecher's dissertation, 2011.
46.869279102, -71.347896113
The Huron-Wendat, who made works such as these, are from this region.