Dublin Core
Title
Birch Bark Box
Object
container
Culture
Ojibwe
Brief Description
Round lidded birch bark box with dense quillwork depicting a buffalo outdoors on the lid.
Description
Round lidded birch bark box with dense quillwork depicting a buffalo outdoors on the lid.
1. Form - The lid quillwork consists of a 5-inch circle of colored quill design surrounded by a band of plain white. The colored design features an outdoor scene of a buffalo. The buffalo is light brown with a white horn. It is standing on light green grass under a light purple sky. In the background is a row of darker green trees, shaped like pine trees. The sides of the box are decorated with neat vertical rows of white quills. Sweet grass is bound around the lower edge of the lid and upper edge of the base by black stitching. Bark lines the inside to cover the quill ends.
2. Material and Color:
Birch bark - medium brown (R216 B168 B105)
Cotton thread - black
Sweet grass - faded yellow-green (R230 G212 B163) and (R212 G197 B148)
Quills - brown (R188 G153 B39), light green (varies, but an approximate average is R185 G198 B158), dark green (varies between the light green colors to R77 G102 B36), purple (R217 G203 B226) to (R207 G199 B225) with a few pieces of a similar shade of blue
3. Construction: The bark was cut, bent, and stitched into shape.
4. Decoration: Quillwork decorates the lid and sides; sweet grass wrapped around the edges of the lid and base.
5. Skill/Care: Skilled quillwork, neat design; inside lining seems a little sloppy around the base.
6. Condition: Very good. Yellowing of side white quills; label on the bottom.
1. Form - The lid quillwork consists of a 5-inch circle of colored quill design surrounded by a band of plain white. The colored design features an outdoor scene of a buffalo. The buffalo is light brown with a white horn. It is standing on light green grass under a light purple sky. In the background is a row of darker green trees, shaped like pine trees. The sides of the box are decorated with neat vertical rows of white quills. Sweet grass is bound around the lower edge of the lid and upper edge of the base by black stitching. Bark lines the inside to cover the quill ends.
2. Material and Color:
Birch bark - medium brown (R216 B168 B105)
Cotton thread - black
Sweet grass - faded yellow-green (R230 G212 B163) and (R212 G197 B148)
Quills - brown (R188 G153 B39), light green (varies, but an approximate average is R185 G198 B158), dark green (varies between the light green colors to R77 G102 B36), purple (R217 G203 B226) to (R207 G199 B225) with a few pieces of a similar shade of blue
3. Construction: The bark was cut, bent, and stitched into shape.
4. Decoration: Quillwork decorates the lid and sides; sweet grass wrapped around the edges of the lid and base.
5. Skill/Care: Skilled quillwork, neat design; inside lining seems a little sloppy around the base.
6. Condition: Very good. Yellowing of side white quills; label on the bottom.
Dimension 1
7" W
Dimension 2
7" D
Dimension 3
3" H
Material
bark(birch) fiber(sweet grass) cotton quill(porcupine)
Construction
cut bent stitched
Decoration
quillwork wrapped(fiber)
Condition
V GOOD discol lbl
Source
Ostrom, Elinor -bequest
Collector
Ostrom, Elinor and Vincent
Accession Number
MM249.107
Old Number
MM249.107 CAC#LS-20 OC#207
Type
artifact
State
Ontario
Country
Canada
Continent
North America
Provenance
This item is from the collections of the Mathers Museum of World Cultures.