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reticule bottom
reticule bottom
reticule bottom
A reticule bottom with scenes of a man with a bow and arrow, a reclining woman drinking from a bottle, a man smoking a pipe with a quill wrapped stem, a woman with a baby in a cradleboard, flowers, and birds. Attributed to a nun in a Quebec convent during the second half of the 18th century. The collection date is unknown. Presently in the collection of Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
The images displayed on the item and the style of the figure drawing and floral designs can be attributed to the convent production of embroidered fancy wares.
Museum documentation and observations made by the GRASAC research team.
Read More About This Relative
birchbark; moosehair, natural and dyed; black cotton thread
A circular piece of birchbark was cut and stitching together to form the eight side bark panels and the concave base. The seams are covered with bundled hairs or quills tacked down with thread and interwoven with other threads to form decorative checkerboard and striped patterns. The panels are embroidered through an insertion technique. The interior of the base was lined with bark, now partly missing.
A standing man is seen in profile wearing leggings, garters and moccasins, a headband with four feathers (resembling a gustowah), and an arm band. He is drawing an arrow in a bow and aiming at a bird in foliage. A woman sits facing him with her back to the bush holding a bottle to her mouth. She is wearing a pointed red cap, leggings ,blue garters, moccasins, a tunic, a wampum style necklace, and a skirt with white border design. The eight side panels have from tip centre: flower, woman with red pointed hat, tunic, wampum necklace, blue skirt with white edgeing, moccasins, holding a gun (?), with baby in cradleboard with cover on back, flower, then bird, the flower, then man sitting on ground with leggings, garter, white shirt, wampum necklace, headband with feathers, elaborate coiffure, and he is holding quill wrapped pipe stem; flower; white lamb; flower.
This is the period of the height of production of embroidered birchbark fancy work for the curio trade by nuns in Quebec convents.
Provenance
Collection history is unknown.
About This GRASAC Record
Unknown French-Canadian artist, reticule bottom. Currently in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Z 35131. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip May 2009; GRASAC item id 24454.
This record was created as part of a GRASAC research trip to Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, May 4-9 2009.
Participants: Trudy Nicks, Laura Peers, Alison Brown, Sherry Farrell-Racette, Rachel Hand, Ruth Phillips, Stacey Loyer, and Amber Berson.