Materials

Cardboard, polished cotton, velvet, glass beads, thread.

Techniques or Format

Constructed out of 6 pieces of cardboard support backing, lined inside with polished cotton. The front and back panels are almost an inverted tear drop shaped with a flat top and covered in purple velvet. The side pieces are more circular and covered in red velvet.

Motifs and Patterns

All edges are decorated with clear raised beading, with a red, yellow, green and blue stripe. In the centre of all four sides is a clear raised beaded circular motif, there are also two clear raised beaded circular motifs on the lid. Loops of clear beads form a fringe around the bottom edge.

Dimensions: 6.5 × 5 × 8.5 cm

Condition: Good. Beading is in good condition, velvet pieces have faded on one side due to light exposure, cotton fabric where lid is hinged to purse is ripping and faded.

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

Date unknown but early 20th century range determined by reference to Dolores Elliot's article "Iroquois Beadwork: A Haudenosaunee Tradition and Art"

Current Location: Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 2012.1.3

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 2012

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Unknown

Collection Narratives and Histories

The provenance of this purse is unknown. It was accessioned and catalogued into the NCCT's collection in 2012 by Emma Knight but there is not record as to how and when it came to the NCCT. It is possible that they were part of a large donation to the NCCT from the Anglican Church Women in 1976, however the purse does not have the ACW tags attached that the rest of the ACW donation does.

Related language items in the GKS: oyę:ˀ

GKS Reference Number: 27350

How to Cite this Item

Unknown Mohawk artist, beaded purse. Currently at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 2012.1.3. NCCT Archive; GRASAC item id 27350.

Record Creation Context

The information found in these records was generated as a part of a research project entitled Memory, Meaning-making and Collections in which Anishinaabe and Cree seniors engaged in handling sessions with objects in the collection of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. As a research partnership between the University of Toronto and the NCCT, these sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Additional information was collected through archival, secondary and comparative research methods. An archive of the project is stored with First Story Toronto at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. For more information on archived interviews or archival material please contact Dr. Cara Krmpotich.