Images(2)

Pincushion

Date19th century

OriginNorth America, probably Canada

MediumBirchbark, silk damask, porcupine quills, thread

DimensionsOH 3 1/4" x OW 3"

Credit LineAnonymous gift.

Object number1971-3466,7G

DescriptionThis is a heart-shaped pincushion made from birch bark, silk damask, and porcupine quills. The front of the pincushion shows an owl sitting on a tree that grows from an earthen mound. The design is stitched with quills that are dyed red, green, and brown. The back of hte pincushion is made from a brown, silk damask. The two sides are attached around the edges with brown thread.
Label TextThe sale of embroidered, birchbark souvenirs for the American and European market first occurred during the mid-18th century at the Ursuline Convent in Quebec. In addition to porcupine quills indigenous makers sometimes adorned their creations with moose hair. Birchbark souvenirs, such as this pincushion, remained popular throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
ProvenanceEx. collection Mrs. DeWitt Clinton Cohen