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gaawyekaajgan quill box
gaawyekaajgan quill box
gaawyekaajgan quill box
This relative is a delicately house-shaped birch box with embroidered quillwork. It is Odawa and dated to the mid-19th century. Decorative motifs of flowers, leaves and window panes adorn all four sides of the box. All motifs appear to be embroidered in line stitch.The flowers are violet and purple in colour with a few in blue, and the leaves are in shades of green. The window panes are white, while yellow is used for the window frames. The slanting roof, sown together in the middle, has only floral and leaf motifs. The lining that covers the stitching on the underside of the roof has come apart in most places. The materials used in the making of this relative are birch bark, porcupine quills, dye, grass, cotton or linen seam tape, and heavy weight cotton or linen thread. There is some indecipherable text inscribed in pencil on the bottom of the ancestor. It currently resides in the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it was received as a gift from Mrs. Orville H. Ehnes in 1950.
Detroit Institute of Arts documentation
Detroit Institute of Arts documentation
Read More About This Relative
The materials used to handcraft this box include birch bark, porcupine quills, dye, grass, cotton or linen seamtape, heavy weight cotton or linen thread.
Birch bark box in the form of a house, ornamented with porcupine quills, red seamtape, and grass bundle edges with quillwork embroidery in line stitch.
Decorative motifs consist of flowers, leaves, X's, and windows. Flowers are in shades of purple with some blue, leaves in shades of green, window frames in yellow, window panes in white, and orange porcupine quills.
As per notes from Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, USA, "On front flap near roofline in pencil: [undecipherable] Beg [undecipherable] On proper top left cover: 20.00 On bottom on left in pencil : Mrs Christina [undecipherable] | 1876 | Detroit On bottom on right in pencil: 500 | Mrs Geo Begg [possibly Bigg] | Detroit | 1876 | [undecipherable]"
Additional research by Cara Krmpotich suggests the names are likely "Mrs Christina Begg" and "Mrs Geo Begg" (not Bigg) -- see Notes for additional information.
Inscribed, etched on side running vertically next to quillwork window: MAGRACT"
Research into the names written on the birch bark produced archival and historical documentation of a George Begg married to Christina Begg (nee Ogston), living in Detroit from 1858 onwards. Christina Ogston, according to provenance records at the Harvard Art Museum, was from Scotland and emigrated to Whitby, Ontario. George Begg was from Aberdeen, Scotland and emigrated to Whitby, Ontario. The pair were married in Whitby in January 1858, and moved to Detroit that same year. Harvard Art Museum documents their years of birth and death as follows: Christina Begg (1825-1908); George Begg (1817-1904). Their son, George Ogston Begg, was born in 1858 and died in 1950.
Detroit Institute of Arts documentation; the date 1876 is written on the birchbark.
Provenance
It is probable the original collector of the quilled house was Christina Begg.
Information on the Beggs can be found as part of the provenance for a ring at the Harvard Art Museums: https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/232633?position=75
About This GRASAC Record
Unknown. "Birch Bark box with Quill Work" GRASAC ID 25185. Located in the Detroit Institute of Arts, catalogue number 50.248
The original record was created by David Penney. This record was augmented by Shamina Vastani in December 2023 - January 2024, with additional research added by Cara Krmpotich January 17, 2024.