Lightly smoked moose and caribou hide, porcupine quills

Inset vamp with fine puckering around toe, "T" heel seam, strip of red stroud inserted into seam between cuff and heel, cuff edge cut in saw-tooth pattern, hide ties threaded through body of moccasins and vamp, zig-zag band and single stitch quillwork

Ruth Phillips: construction of moccasins, saw-tooth quillwork stitch and red stroud fabric inserted between the seams are all characteristic of Cree work. Compare the design on the vamp to a pair of moccasins in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow (GLAHM E.109/2) which have a very similar vamp design interpreted in silk embroidery on a fabric vamp.

18th or first half of 19th century

Unknown Cree artist, moccasins. Currently at National Museums Scotland, A.UC.343. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007 in which the author took part; GRASAC item id 24438.

9 Apr 2007 Ruth Phillips, On-site researchers: Cory Willmott, Heidi Bohaker, Laura Peers, Ruth Phillips, Keith Jamieson, Alan Corbiere, Henrietta Lidchi, Robert Storrie, Chantal Knowles, Brenda McGoff