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ProvenanceBelieved to have been given as a presentation piece to James Bruce, the 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, governor-general of Canada during his residency 1847-1854; descended in the Elgin family to the 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine, Dunfermline, Scotland
BibliographyVincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.86.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 97.
Culture
Mi'kmaq (Micmac)
Box
Date1847-1854
DimensionsOverall: 6 × 8 in. (15.2 × 20.3 cm)
Object numberT0299a-b
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextMi'kmaq (Micmac) women quilled decorative designs on birchbark in response to the growing interest of non-Natives for this work in the early 18th century. European and Canadian women were so intrigued with the art form that a demand for boxes and other containers quickly emerged. Elaborate geometric designs in quillwork covering entire surfaces were common.ProvenanceBelieved to have been given as a presentation piece to James Bruce, the 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, governor-general of Canada during his residency 1847-1854; descended in the Elgin family to the 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine, Dunfermline, Scotland
BibliographyVincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.86.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 97.
On View
On viewc. 1820-1840