Tanned, black-dyed skin; black wool cloth pocket; porcupine quills, red, orange, blue, green, yellow, white; red-dyed animal hair; metal cones; sinew; cotton thread.

Quill work in zigzag band, simple line and one-quill edging techniques.

The Underwater Panther on this pouch is surrounded by concentric rectangular borders, one of which is composed of a bold castellated line. The concentric motifs create the illusion that we are seeing the manito at the bottom of a downward-funnelling passage into the underworld, while the castellated line is a motif commonly used to represent the powers of the underworld spirits (Patterns of Power).

Patterns of Power: c. 1800

From the Speyer and Sir Walter Scott Collections.

Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.