mkak, box, birchbark

mkak, box, birchbark

mkak, box, birchbark

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Introduction

This Anishinaabe mkak (box) is made from birchbark with a floral design made from quillwork. It was collected by Amos H. Gottschall between 1871 and 1905. His collection was likely left to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANS) sometime before 1937. ANS formally gifted the collection to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1997, where this relative currently resides.

Name of Maker(s): Maker Unrecorded
Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe Odawa
Nation of Origin

The nation is listed as "Ottawa" in Gottschall's catalogue.

Place of Origin: Michigan (Northern Michigan), USA
Date Made or Date Range: 1905
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

The information in this record is based on museum documentation.

Materials

birchbark; sweetgrass; black thread; porcupine quills natural and dyed green, purple, dark pink, bright pink, yellow, and red; beige thread

Techniques or Format

A round-bottomed birchbark container in a purse shape. The bottom and sides are a single piece, curved up. The front and back are separate panels. It has a rectangular lid. The edges are decorated with sweetgrass, sewn on with black thread. A fragment of a braided sweetgrass handle is attached to one side, with a double loop (figure 8) tacked onto the narrow side. Floral patterns in porcupine quillwork on the lid and all four sides.

Motifs and Patterns

The quillwork is done in floral motifs on the lid and sides.

Dimensions: 17.4 × 10.7 × 14 cm
Condition: Lots of quills lost or broken due to insect damage.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

This date range is based on Gottschall's collecting activities.

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 97-84-104A (box); 97-84-104A (box lid); L-84-104A-B (old museum numbers); 18115 (ANS number); II 289 (Gottschall number)
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/8752
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1997
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Gift of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1997
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1871-1905
Collection Narratives and Histories

It was collected by Amos H. Gottschall between 1871 and 1905. His collection was likely left to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANS) sometime before 1937. ANS formally gifted the collection to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1997, where this relative currently resides.

Publication History

Gottschall, Amos H. Priced and Descriptive Catalogue of the Utensils, Implements, Weapons, Ornaments, Etc., of the Indians, Mound Builders, Cliff Dwellers: Typical Collections No. 2. 1909. (See: II 289)

GKS Reference Number: 25912
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Mkak, box, birchbark. GRASAC ID 25912. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 97-84-104A & 97-84-104B.

Record Creation Context

This information was gathered on a visit to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, May 6 2010. The researchers present were Adriana Greci-Green, David Penny, Stacey Loyer, Coralie Boeykens.
This record was augmented by Joy Kruse on October 29, 2024.

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