Made of nettlestock fibre or hemp, decorated with moosehair dyed red, white, and light and dark blue, and size 10 white seed beads.

This strap was made using the technique of heddle weaving, decorated with moosehair tapestry, also known as false embroidery, and a single line of beads on both edges. Additional weft threads were added to form the very long strap as a thick braid. It starts off as quite wide and then narrows and splits into two smaller bands on both sides.

Geometric motifs. CW suggested they resemble the British flag. CW noted that the Xs and diamonds create a clever ground figure play between motifs and negative space.

Apikan. It could be spelt "aapikan" or "aapigan," as many things which are used end in -gan. (AC)

The GRASAC team agreed to a date range of 1750-1810, because of the period of British involment in North America and other documented collections in that period.

Purchased from Christie's auction house by the British Museum in 1983. A pencilled note in the museum's register, written by museum employee (who is now the Keeper of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas) Jonathan C.H. King, says that this item was "Found by J.K. and W.C.S. in an attic at Audley End, Essex, January 1980."

Unknown Haudenosaunee artist, tumpline or burden strap. Currently in the British Museum, AM1983,23.1. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 26099.

This record was created as part of a Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) research trip to the Pitt Rivers Museum and British Museum, December 8-22 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunities fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), Alan Corbiere (AC), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).