Birch bark, porcupine quills, parchment lining in interior of lid, paper lining on interior sides of lid and interior of box

Oval, lidded box, body of two pieces, seamed at the pointed ends, with an inset bottom

On-site researchers: spiralling 'propeller' floral motifs give a sense of movement, Oval shape looks like 19th C shaker box, not typical for Ojibwa to use that shape. Use of a letter written in French as a liner has possible clues. Only parts are visible, but the writer seems to have connections to a convent and refers to "Adele Bureau, coming into our novitiate" and a "M. Fortan" (with more time, more could be deciphered). The maker of the box might have had associations with a convent or French Catholic missionaries. Possibly to Lake of Two Mountains or Manitoulin Island? Sherry Farrell Racette has done a lot of work on this box. Ruth: typical of early quillwork on bark. Multi-coloured design like this on documented boxes date to the second quarter of the 19th century. Boxes in this general style now in the Rochester Museum of Science were collected by Lewis Henry Morgan on a trip to the upper Great Lakes c 1860, presumably from Ojibwa makers.

mid 19th century

Unknown Anishinaabe artist, quilled birch bark box. Currently at National Museums Scotland, A.1897.96. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007 in which the author took part; GRASAC item id 25190.

9 Apr 2007 Ruth Phillips, On-site researchers: Cory Willmott, Heidi Bohaker, Laura Peers, Ruth Phillips, Keith Jamieson, Alan Corbiere, Henrietta Lidchi, Robert Storrie, Chantal Knowles, Brenda McGoff