Hide, smoked; porcupine quills, white, red, blue, yellow; beads, white.

A strip of smoked hide upon which is attached a strip of loom woven with netted quillwork on both ends. A line of small white beads and a double line of single quill embroidery runs around the outer edges. The beads on the outer edges are strung and tabbed with quills between each bead. The belt's ends are fringed with hide that has been slit into thongs and wrapped with quills.

There are two design fields. Upon the red field is a line of 13 blue hourglasses edged in white, with a central linking line. The blue field has three 'H' shaped motifs separated by groups of double crosses, followed by a line of four joined crosses.

Based upon style and materials.

Acquired by London dealer W O Oldman. Purchased by the British Museum from Mrs. D K Oldman in 1949.

Unknown artist, message belt. Currently in the British Museum, Am1949,22.127. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 26624.

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).

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Darlene Johnston (DJ), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Cory Willmott (CW).