Materials

Hide, deer or moose; stroud, coarse red; silk ribbon, dark blue and lighter blue; porcupine quills dyed red, black and white; size 16 seed beads; worsted yarn, black; silk ribbon, yellow

Techniques or Format

The moccasins are made of deer or moose hide, with a coarse red stroud cuff edged in dark blue and lighter blue silk ribbon. Porcupine quills dyed red, black and white, decorate the vamps, and size 16 seed beads, black worsted yarn, and yellow silk ribbon decorate the cuffs. Each cuff was made in one piece. LP notes it is possible that the cuff was added after moccasins made, to renew them, as the red wool does not match the quilled vamps in style or period.

Motifs and Patterns

On the vamp, three sets of concentric circles are done in quillwork. The cuff has equal armed cross motifs, and beading looped at intervals.

Additional Context

The circle and cross motifs may be sun and four direction symbolism, but the motifs difficult to fully appreciate due to damage.

Dimensions: 27.4 × 0 × 0 cm

Condition: RP said the moccasins were "once absolutely splendid." There is evidence of wear - an impression of a foot is visible in both moccasins, as well as clear evidence of moth damage. The Pitt Rivers conservator, Heather Richardson, said they are in "poor condition."

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

CW suggested a date of manufacture somewhere in the late 18th or early 19th century, based on materials - the tiny beads and unlined stroud.

The Pitt Rivers Museum Object catalogue lists the date of manufacture as between 1750 and 1850.

Current Location: Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 1952.5.04

Collection at Current Location: Shirley Collection

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1966

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Colonel Shirley via Major Shirley

Collection Narratives and Histories

This item is part of a collection loaned to the Pitt Rivers Museum by Colonel Shirley in 1952 and purchased from his son, Major Shirley in January 1966. There is a possibility that the moccasins were formerly owned by James Bisset and acquired by Colonel Shirley through the Leamington Museum. (Pitt Rivers Museum Object Catalogue entry)

Publication History

Mowat, Linda. "Painted Coats for a Coronation? (Research Notes)," Journal of Museum Ethnography 8 (1996): 109-110.

GKS Reference Number: 27268

Record Creation Context

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).

Record Creation Notes/Observations

researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), Al Corbiere (AC), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Laura Peers (LP), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).