Materials

native tanned deerskin; skin thong and string; porcupine quills; metal cones with red hair

Techniques or Format

Each moccasin is made from a single piece of native tanned, smoked deerskin, seamed vertically at the heel, and in a gathered seam down the centre front. The sewing is done with skin thong and string. The central decorative feature is the porcupine quillwork. The quills have been dyed: white, blue (which has faded to a slight green), red, black (which has faded to a dark brown), and yellow. The dimensions of each of the moccasins are 26 centimeters in length. Both the front seam and ankle flaps are covered with loom woven quillwork, and edged with three rows of quills in a zigzag band technique. The rows respectively blue, black and white, and red have been loom woven on two lines of stitching fiber and attached to the deerskin. At the lower edge of each ankle flap is a compact fringe of metal cones and red hair; a pair of the same tassels is attached on either side of the quillwork on the front of the moccasins.

Motifs and Patterns

On the outer lapels of each moccasin there is a diamond motif repeated four times. These diamonds are intersected by two smaller double diamonds, centred. On the inner lapels of each moccasin there is a triangle motif repeated three times. The diamond motif also appears on the quillwork on the front centre of the moccasins, repeated twice vertically on each woven panel, and intersected by two side by side diamonds.

Additional Context

I would suggest that the triangle motif on the inside flap of the ankle lapel is a very simplified Thunderbird representation, based on the extreme simplification of the common use of the hourglass figure with or without wings to represent the Thunderbird.

According to Judy Hall (Thompson, Judy, Judy Hall, and Leslie Tepper. Fascinating Challenges. Hull: Canadian Museum of Civilization , 2001: pg 251) the diamond is meant to represent the four nations of the Huron Confederacy.

Condition: The overall condition of the moccasins is good. The tanned deerskin appears stable. On moccasin iII-H-432a, one hair and metal cone tassel is missing, as is the lace. A minor area of loss of quillwork is apparent at the front toe and a larger area on the heel seam is missing on III-H-432b.

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

This date is indicated on the CMC catalogue card and corresponds with the years that the original collector was in the Great Lakes region.

Current Location: Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa, Canada

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: III-H-432ab

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1973

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: ca. 1780

Collection Narratives and Histories

Sir Joseph Caldwell returned to Ireland from his station in Fort Niagara with this moccasins in his possession. They remained with the Caldwell collection until acquired by Arthur Speyer sometime after 1926. They were acquired by the CMC in 1973, as part of a larger purchase of the Speyer Collection.

Exhibition History

Indianer Nordamerikas, Germany
Bo'jou Neejee, National Museum of Man, 1979
Coburg Art Gallery, 1979
Comfortable Arts, National Gallery of Canada, 1981-1982

Sources to Learn More

Benndorf and Speyer, 1968

GKS Reference Number: 25019