Decorative Work Pouch

Decorative Work Pouch

Decorative Work Pouch

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Introduction

This rectangular pouch is made of blackened hide and features decorative work. The design featured on the front and the faux flap of the pouch is likely made of quill but could also be moosehair, and is made up of small circles, wavy lines and a plant motif in ornage and natural colours in the centre. The pouch tapers slightly towards the top near the flap and ribbon work. The flap features the small circles and lines, as well as tinkles with orange hair along the edges. There are eight circles on the flap. This ancestor has beading on the flap and the edges of the bag, in orange and natural. Green ribbon binds the top of the pouch, which is edged with either quill or moosehair embrodiered borders. The strap is made of either commercial linen or cotton, and their ends are frayed and twisted in a decorative fashion. A pair of tinkles are attached to the side of the pouch. The bottom of the pouch also features tinkles with orange hair, underneath five circles in wavy lines. The back of the bag is undecorated. This ancestor is likely from the late 18th or early 19th century and is currently at the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin.

Nation of Maker: Unknown
Nation of Origin

Muskogee Creek? Menominee? Eastern Great Lakes?

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

The catalogue card makes connections with IV B 4 and IV B 5: Creek (see photograph); Alan Corbiere thought these could be Muskogee Creek. He observed that the shape of the bag is similar to Menominee bags, however, the motifs appears more Eastern than Western Great Lakes. Laura Peers agreed with Corbiere's assessment.

Date Made or Date Range: Late 18th to early 19th century
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Museum documentation and GRASAC researcher notes

Materials

Unknown animal hide; quill and/or moose hair; ribbon; linen or cotton; beading; ribbon; linen thread; hair; metal.

Techniques or Format

Fraying and twisted ends on the strap. The pouch's body is made of blackened hide, with detailed decorative work in quill or moose hair on the flap, body, and along the edges. The edges feature plaited quill work.

Motifs and Patterns

This ancestor has distinctive circles on the flap and the bottom, as well as a plant motif in the middle. Wavy lines surround the circles on the bottom and are also along the pouch's edges and the flap.

Additional Context

Alan Corbiere believes the plant motif is water sprouts. Alan also notes that the horizontal zig-zag reminds him of Densmore pictograph, with birth and death starts and ends. Laura Peers suspects that the circles could be moons or symbolize decades.

Original and Subsequent Uses

A personal bag

Condition: Good; structurally sound, although some of the colours have faded.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Year of acquisition (1824) and stylistic analysis.

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: IV-B-242b
Collection at Current Location: Hadlock
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1824
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Hadlock
Collection Narratives and Histories

The catalogue card reads Hadlock 1824

Source for Provenance information

Museum documentation

GKS Reference Number: 24693
Record Creation Context

Created by Nikolaus Stolle during a research visit to the museum commissioned by Ruth Phillips and supported by her research funds.
Augmented by Cara Krmpotich March 25, 2024 using images and notes created during a GRASAC Research visit to the Museum in May 2019, including Cara Krmpotich, Alan Corbiere, Laura Peers, Maureen Matthews and Hannah Turner and Charles Feaver on photography. Curator Monika Zessnik supported the team throughout the visit.