ornament

ornament

ornament

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Introduction

Ornament, head roach. Anishinaabeg or Haudenosaunee, made between 1750 and 1850. Donated to the British Museum by English ethnologist Henry Christy between 1860 and 1869.

Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe Hodenosaunee/Haudenosaunee
Nation of Origin

Anishinaabeg or Haudenosaunee, based upon style.

Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Created with information from the British Museum object catalogue.

Materials

Made of lightly smoked deer hide, animal hair (probably deer or porcupine) hair dyed red and yellow, porcupine quills in orange, black and white, metal cones, small white pony beads, and vegetable fibre or hemp thread.

Techniques or Format

The horse shoe shaped central hide panel is decorated with folded quillwork, single line quillwork and braided quill edging. The hair looks like it has been folded to form a short upper fringe.

Motifs and Patterns

Geometric shapes and wavy lines decorate the central portion. The cut out oval part in the top centre is edged with red quill. The square patches of yellow hair were created through a leached dying technique.

Dimensions: 37 × 41 × 0 cm
Current Location: British Museum, London, UK
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: Am.2598
Collection at Current Location: Christy Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1860s
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Henry Christy
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1856-1860
Collection Narratives and Histories

Donated to the British Museum by English ethnologist Henry Christy between 1860 and 1869.

Publication History

JCH King, 'First Peoples, First Contacts' (British Museum Press, 1999) p.61.

GKS Reference Number: 26541
How to Cite this Item

Unknown artist, ornament. Currently in the British Museum, Am.2598. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 26541.

Record Creation Context

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Alan Corbiere (AC), Jonathan King (JK), Henrietta Lidchi (HL), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Darlene Johnston (DJ), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Cory Willmott (CW).

Approximate Place of Origin

45.8, -83.9

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