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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED MI'KMAQ ARTIST
Lidded Oval Quillwork Box, c. 1850aniline dyed porcupine quills, birch bark, wood, spruce root, and thread, 4 x 7 x 4.5 in (10.2 x 17.8 x 11.4 cm)
unsigned.LOT 128
ESTIMATE: $2,500 — $3,500Further images
Not all of a porcupine’s quills are created equal, either as a defense mechanism or as a labour-intensive material component for a decorated box. Beginning at the nape of the...Not all of a porcupine’s quills are created equal, either as a defense mechanism or as a labour-intensive material component for a decorated box. Beginning at the nape of the neck and continuing to the base of the tail, these quills are longer and thinner, and after some cleaning, preparation, and dyeing, they can form the base for fine, elegant linework. Here, a bright, finely lined chevron pattern circles the box, and basket-woven quills crown each section. A round, almost starburst-like pattern radiates from the centre of the lid, where both its bright white background and rays lie in precise, thin lines. The colours throughout the box’s body remain punchy and vibrant despite the time that has passed since its creation. Lovely.
AC
References: For broadly similar Mi’kmaq boxes see Stephen J. Augustine, Mi’kmaq & Maliseet Cultural Ancestral Material, (Gatineau: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2005), pp. 20-120. See also Ralph T. Coe, Sacred Circles: Two Thousand Years of North American Indian Art, (Kansas City: Nelson Gallery of Art, 1977), cats 101-103. For early examples see Ralph T. Coe et al, The Responsive Eye: Ralph T. Coe and the Collecting of American Indian Art, (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003), cats. 51,52. See also Ruth Holmes Whitehead, MicMac Quillwork: Micmac Indian Techniques of Porcupine Quill Decoration: 1600-1950, (Halifax: The Nova Scotia Museum, 1982).Provenance
Private Collection, Montreal.
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