Materials

birch bark, porcupine quills (undyed white and brown, dyed green and red) sweetgrass, cotton thread (black)

Motifs and Patterns

In the centre of the lid there are two red strawberries and two green leaves. The background and sides of the lid are completely covered with white undyed porcupine quills.The rim of the lid is wrapped with sweetgrass and secured with black cotton thread. The sides of the box are covered with white undyed porcupine quills and the rim of the box is wrapped in sweetgrass and secured with black cotton thread.

Dimensions: 0 × 0 × 5 cm

Condition: Excellent, bright colour preservation, no broken or missing quills

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

Condition and colour of box and quills, general agreement of MMMC group

Current Location: Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 2012.1.103.1-2

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 quill box is largely unknown. it was likely donated to the History Project at the NCCT by a community member, possibly for an art auction or sale that the History Project used to hold to raise money. The quill box was found with the rest of the collection when it was catalogued in 2012. The quill box is listed in Monica Bodirsky's (former History Project coordinator) notes written in 2002.

Related language items in the GKS: gahǫhsraˀ

GKS Reference Number: 26166

How to Cite this Item

Unknown Anishinaabe artist, quill box. Currently at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 2012.1.103.1-2 . Information obtained from conversations with former History Project coordinator June Allison and from Monica Bodirsky's handwritten notes, NCCT Archive; GRASAC item id 26166.