rectangular box with cover; medium brown; white quillwork with spray of flowers on cover and individual blossom on each side of box; X motif trim

Covered quillwork box, 20th century

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The Anishinaabe woman artist who created this intricately adorned and finely woven basket utilized locally harvested porcupine quills, birchbark, and sweetgrass. Artists often incorporated abstraction into their work, layering quills in complex patterns and forms that reveal both technical mastery and artistic ingenuity. For more than two hundred years, Anishinaabe women sold many of their birchbark containers and baskets to non-Native people to sustain their families during a time of major cultural disruption, including forced assimilation and removal onto governmental and religious controlled reservations. Quillboxes exemplify the power of Anishinaabe women to create a new and unique artform that expresses cultural and individual resiliency and creativity.

Details
Title
Covered quillwork box
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2019.5.12a,b
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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rectangular box with cover; medium brown; white quillwork with spray of flowers on cover and individual blossom on each side of box; X motif trim