Materials

tanned deer skin smoked to medium brown: porcupine quills in red-orange, yellow, and brown; metal cones; red dyed deer hair; sinew; cotton or linen thread

Techniques or Format

This moccasin is probably for the left foot. It has a centre seam construction with vamp and heel seams and separate cuffs sewn on. Two rows of zigzag band quillwork cover the heel seam, four rows on the cuffs, and three on upper vamp narrowing to one on the toe end. A single line of wavy quillwork borders the top and sides of the cuff. One metal cone and tassel is attached with a white bead to the left side of the vamp attached with sinew (one appears to be missing from the other side.) The heel seam ends in a triangular point and tab or arrow shape. Metal cones have been sewn on with cotton or linen thread, but the cuffs and quillwork appear to have been attached with sinew thread.

Quillwork on each of the cuffs is bordered by yellow and has three half diamonds of yellow and brown and a very dark red. The sequence is slightly different on each cuff. The diamonds are interspersed by two lines of red. The heel quillwork has an asymmetrical design of mostly red quills, but along one line there is a small section of yellow and brown and on the opposite side it is higher up. The front – central quillwork band on the vamp has three sections of alternate yellow and dark brown wrapped quills.

Motifs and Patterns

Decorated with geometric motifs and wavy lines.

Condition: Very good; there is a hole in the bottom sole but no obvious signs of wear or soiling.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

This moccasin was collected by military officers who fought in the Seven Years' War.

Current Location: Blair Castle, Pitlochry, Scotland

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: unnumbered

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1759-1768

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1759-1768

Collection Narratives and Histories

It is most likely that the collector or collectors of the 18th century North American indigenous items now at Blair Castle were soldiers related to the Duke of Atholl who fought in North America during the Seven Years' War (specifically between 1759 and 1768). These include the Duke’s nephews, Lieut. James Murray of the 42nd Highland Regiment (Black Watch) and Captain George Murray, Royal Navy. Another possible source is Lieut. Alexander Farquharson, who collected Great Lakes indigenous items for his patron, ? Farquharson, Laird of Invercauld and husband of the Duke’s niece, Lady Sinclair. A 1768 letter in the Blair Castle archives shows that Capt. George Murray, then returned to Europe, had sent things both to the Duke and to the Lady Sinclair and her mother. Lieut. James Murray and Alexander Farquharson fought in the army of Lord Amherst, which moved up from New York City, along the Hudson River, Lake George, and Lake Champlain to Montreal in 1759-60, fighting alongside Hodenosaunee and Anishinaabe allies. The items at Blair Castle could have originated amongst either, but the location of Amherst's army through Mohawk and other Hodenosaunee territories makes a Hodenosaunee origin especially likely for many of them.

GKS Reference Number: 24846

Record Creation Context

GRASAC site visit April 28, 2009. Participants: Alison Brown, Henrietta Lidchi, Ruth Phillips and Nancy Wachowich, assisted by Blair Castle archivist Jane Anderson.