quilled birch bark mat

quilled birch bark mat

quilled birch bark mat

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Introduction

Birch bark mat decorated with porcupine quillwork embroidery. Quills are made into a symmetrical design with an eight-pointed star in the middle. Part of the Chiefswood collection (originally given to Mrs. George H.M. Johnson as a wedding gift from residents at Lorette, QC [now Wendake] in 1854). Record says it is Mi'kmaq, not Huron-Wendat.

Nation of Maker: Other
Nation of Origin

Record says "The style is Micmac, and some of these are known to have joined the Hurons at Lorette."

Place of Origin: Wendake
Date Made or Date Range: 1854
Materials

Birch bark, dyed porcupine quills, silk

Techniques or Format

Surface completely covered on one side with quill work in symmetrical geometric design. White groundwith motifs in green, red, yellow and purple. Eight-pointed star at centre. Border of
Alternating triangles. Edged with red silk. The back is bare birch bark.

Motifs and Patterns

Eight-pointed star, thunderbirds (?), geometric designs

Other Notes

Similar panels are at the Brant County historical museum, there was probably a set which was broken up at some point and distributed among the Johnson children.

Dimensions: 35.5 × 23.7 × 0.5 cm
Condition: Good; quill colours have faded
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Originally given to Mrs. George H.M. Johnson as a wedding gift from residents at Lorette, QC (now Wendake) in 1854.

Current Location: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 922.1.81
Collection at Current Location: Evelyn Johnson/Chiefswood Collection
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Chiefswood collection; Evelyn H.C. Johnson
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1854
Previous Collectors: Mr. and Mrs. George H.M. Johnson
Collection Narratives and Histories

Chiefswood collection, donated by Miss Evelyn H. C. Johnson (date?). Part of wedding present to Mrs. George H.M. Johnson in 1854 from Indians at Lorette, Quebec.

GKS Reference Number: 45128
How to Cite this Item

Unknown Miꞌkmaq artist, quilled birch bark mat. Currently in the Royal Ontario Museum, 922.1.81. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip October 2014; GRASAC item id 45128.

Record Creation Context

Visit to the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, ON) of Ruth Phillips, Heidi Bohaker, Paula Whitlow, Alexandra Nahwegahbow and Wahsontiio Cross, assisted by Trudy Nicks and Molly Minnick, 27-29 October 2014.

Approximate Place of Origin

46.869279102, -71.347896113

Source of Information about Places

Catalog record says from Lorette, QC

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