TRAY
CultureMi'kmaq
Object numberHF.85.7.1
DescriptionMaskwi or birchbark tray embroidered with sapun, or hair of a moose. The tray is made of a central disc with eight sections sewed on. The outside sections have scalloped edges covered in white moose hair covered in dark stitches. Embroidered flowers and leaves feature on seven of the outside sections, the eighth featuring strawberries. The central disc features a larger grouping of strawberries and their flowers. Narrative
Embroidery onto birchbark using moosehair dates back to around 1700 in the area now known as Quebec. Indigenous students of the Sisters of the Ursuline Order, turned to familiar materials, once the European supplies had run out. Over the next century, this new style migrated east to some districts of Mi'kma'ki where it was used to decorate birchbark items.
Since this embroidery style is found in both Quebec and the Maritimes, confusion can ensue relating to the place of origin. Renowned Mi'kmaw scholar, Ruth Holmes Whitehead, identified features such as white moose hair used for edging and autumnal colours used in floral motifs. These elements are visible on this tray, helping to confirm the maker as Mi'kmaq.
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