BOX
CultureMi'kmaq
Dimensions6.5 x 10.5 cm
Object numberHF.2021.16.547 A-C
DescriptionA Kawi Wijkwe’tlaqan or quillwork birch bark container. The circular container (A) has a friction lid (B) and is covered in multi-coloured quill work. Welima’qewe’l msiku (sweetgrass) adorns the rim of the lid and is held in place by thread. The side of the container is decorated with red and white chevrons with blue quills in triangles at the top and bottom of the chevrons. The side of the lid is wrapped primarily in brown spruce root with a repeating white quillwork pattern. The top of the lid is decorated with an eight-pointed Mi'kmaq star that is mostly blue and lined with red forming diamonds. In the middle of diamonds is a small white spot. Between each of the outer points of the star is white quills with a blue shape in the middle of the white. The bottom of the base is missing. Narrative
Ray purchased this container as a gift for his mother, Mrs. Elsie Sark, while on a business trip off-Island. The puncture marks made to create the Mi'kmaq Star pattern can be seen on the inside of the lid. Quillers punctured the birchbark to mark out the pattern and then inserted the quills. Insertion is the most common method elawika’toq (adorn with porcupine quillwork).
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