purse, birchbark

purse, birchbark

purse, birchbark

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Introduction

A birchbark handbag with braided sweetgrass handles, made from the rough outer bark according to a fashion current in the late 19th and early 20th century. Almost certainly collected at Perth in Eastern Ontario, by Royal Ontario Museum ethnologist Thomas McIlwraith and attributable to the Algonquin or Mohawk in the region. Acquired by Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1924.

Nation of Maker: Algonquin Anishinaabe Mohawk
Nation of Origin

The tag indicates that this bag was almost certainly acquired in the region of Perth, Ontario. In the late 19th century the most likely people to be selling wares in Perth would have been from the Algonquin reserves near Sharbot Lake, the Mohawk of the Bay of Quinte (Tyendinaga) or possibly further north or east. Trudy Nicks notes that bark wares were also produced for market and sold through catalogue sale systems.

Place of Origin: Perth, ON
Date Made or Date Range: 1860 to 1920
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Museum documentation and the GRASAC research team.

Materials

birchbark, second growth; birchbark, smooth inner bark; sweetgrass; black cotton thread; twine.

Techniques or Format

This purse or bag is made of three pieces of the rough outer bark of the birch tree, lined with the smoother inner bark, with bundled sweetgrass stitched to the sides. Because the edging was stitched first to each side and then stitched together, a cross stitch effect results on the sides. The top sweetgrass is stitched on with a simple overstitch. The handles are made of braided sweetgrass reinforced with a piece of commercial twine. The ends of the handles are formed into paired decorative loops in four places.

Dimensions: 0 × 21.5 × 17 cm
Condition: Good. The handles are unravelling, and it needs cleaning.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

It looks as though it has been quickly made (the stitching of the sweetgrass on to the edges). This kind of 'mass production' is typical of the period when indigenous peoples in Southern Ontario were producing items in large quantities for the souvenir trade.

Current Location: Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, UK
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 1924.762
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1924
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: T. F. McIlwraith
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: before 1924
Collection Narratives and Histories

Almost certainly collected at Perth in eastern Ontario, by Royal Ontario Museum ethnologist Thomas McIlwraith and attributable to the Algonquin or Mohawk in the region. Acquired by Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, from McIlwraith in 1924.

GKS Reference Number: 1200
How to Cite this Item

Unknown Algonguin/Anishinaabe/Mohawk artist, purse, birchbark. Currently in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 1924.762. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip May 2009; GRASAC item id 1200.

Record Creation Context

This record was created as part of a GRASAC research trip to Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, May 4-9 2009.

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Researchers present: Trudy Nicks, Stacey Loyer, Ruth Phillips, and Rachel Hand.

Approximate Place of Origin

44.8976, -76.2485

Source of Information about Places

Style and museum documentation (see below).

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