box, calling card

box, calling card

box, calling card

top image
Images
Introduction

A rectangular birch bark case embroidered with dyed moosehair in floral designs. The museum record says it was collected in New Brunswick, however, an inscription written on the item reads "Quebec Lorette Huron Canada" with "New Brunswick" crossed out. Collected by F.C. Woodforde around 1865.

Nation of Maker: Huron-Wendat Hodenosaunee/Haudenosaunee
Nation of Origin

Likely Wendat, could also be Iroquoian. PRM record says collected in New Brunswick. Written on object is: Quebec Lorette Huron Canada, with ?New Brunswick crossed out.

Place of Origin: Wendake
Date Made or Date Range: /1865
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Museum documentation and observations made by the GRASAC research team.

Materials

birchbark; moosehair, reddish orange, orange, ivory, pink, blue, green; black thread

Techniques or Format

This box is made of birchbark with a birchbark inner liner. It is embroidered with moosehair in reddish orange, orange,ivory, pink, blue, and shades of green. The edges are bound with animal hair tacked down with black thread.

Motifs and Patterns

On the edging an interwoven checkerboard cross motif appears at intervals, made of black thread with animal hair coming through. The moosehair embroidery is in floral designs.

Original and Subsequent Uses

This item was made as a commodity for sale to tourist market.

Dimensions: 27.5 × 4.5 × 0 cm
Condition: good
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Museum record noting field collection c. 1865.

Current Location: Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 1912.38.7.1-2
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1912
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: F.C. Woodforde, possibly Francis Cardew Woodforde
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: c. 1865
Collection Narratives and Histories

The PRM Accession book entry reads: F.C.Woodforde Esq. Market Drayton.- specimens collected in Canada, chiefly in New Brunswick, c.1865, viz:- Small bark case similarly embroidered [floral design in moose-hair]. This item was originally entered on PRM database as Huron.

Publication History

There is a reference in the PRM object catalogue record to : EC 'DCF 2004-2006 what's Upstairs?' 15/2/2006, which may refer to a publication.

GKS Reference Number: 26414
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).

Approximate Place of Origin

46.869279102, -71.347896113

Source of Information about Places

The item is known to be made by the Huron-Wendat community of Lorette.

Do You Have Knowledge to Contribute? Share with Us.