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Huron Indian
c 1880

Very unusual piece. Huron Indians were from Loretta, Quebec. Items like this were made for bartering and trading from the 1770?s onwards. To produce this work the birch bark is warmed and kept damp whilst being worked, a pattern then scratched on and holes made to receive the quill ends. Birch bark has the property of immediately closing small punctures in its surface, so that holes are pierced one at a time, The short length of the moosehair, usually 3- 5cm, would make only a few insertions possible for each hair. The hairs were dampened to keep them pliable. Plain insertion stitches were most commonly used, but the knotted stitch was used for raising important motifs and indicating rough surfaces. These French knots would have been taught by missionary nuns. For this, a hair was brought through to the surface, knotted and put again through the bark. The skill and time involved in repeating this to create a large flower was considerable. The red wool ?stroud? would be a British export. See: Mohawk, Micmac, Maliseet and other Indian Souvenir Art from Victorian Canada an exhibition of June Bedford?s collection at Canada House in 1985. p 20 Moosehair Techniques in the Collection.

Cataloguing

unmade up, using moosehair and barkcloth, comprising a front and a back cuff, the black facecloth ground worked with a central raised flower head 1 ? in. dia., using French knots and a spray of small flowers and leaves, in shades of old rose, magenta, white, pale pink and blue and forest green, 5 ? x 7 in. widest, the back cuff with a central white star type flower with a French knotted centre flanked by pink flower buds and green leaves tipped with yellow, two blue French knot raised work flowers at each end, 10 x 2 ? in., c. 1880.

Condition

One white and pink flower has a few strands of hair missing. Each back cuff has a little of the quillwork gone from one petal of the main flower, otherwise very good condition.