112/3/D3

Birch Bark Picture Frame

Heart-shaped, birch bark object with square void in the middle. Two layers of birch bark stitched together with wood splint binding.

L2024.3.117

This piece of tourist art is probably a minor art form from the Highgate Springs Indian basket camps three miles to the south in the USA, since it employs both ash splint sewing and sweetgrass borders. The idea is that a photograph can be slid between the bark front and back and show in the ash and sweetgrass rimed window. It is one of the few examples of birchbark work that shows the white outside of the bark, probably catering to the tourists’ need to have something “woodsy” hanging on the wall.

Birchbark Doll

Birchbark doll

L2024.3.56

For the tourist trade

Brush Holder

Ash splint and sweetgrass basket

L2024.3.118

Cornhusk Doll

Cornhusk “sprite” doll made by Peggy Fullerton of Piermont, NH

L2024.3.207

Cornhusk doll

Cornhusk “sprite” doll made by Peggy Fullerton of Piermont, NH

L2024.3.208

Cross Pendant

"Jesuit" cross

L2024.3.38

Cross Pendant

Silver cross in "Montreal" style with modern beaded chain. Silver cross has two sets of arms, both terminating in two lobes. Top of cross has three lobes with the middle lobe pierced. Foot of cross has a single lobe. Engraved floral design on arms and lower portion near foot.

L2024.3.37

The Montreal cross from a family with Native ancestry was shared with the old Abenaki Research Project as proof of a native lineage. The ancestral line traces to Franklin County, VT. It is a classic example of a silver pendant, believed to represent the dragonfly to some native peoples. This example is beautifully crafted of thick silver sheet with minimal incising on the arms and base. It is unmarked. It is suspended from a coeval string of blue glass tubular beads but has been restrung on artificial sinew.

Earbob

pair of ball and cone earings

L2024.3.9a-b

These little silver “ball and cone” earbobs were ubiquitous in Native America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. There is one other published ball and cone earbob set from Vermont, so they are not unique. Also, earbob fragments from pairs like these have been found before in burial contexts in Vermont. Ex Ben Gravel Collection. I distinctly remember him once telling me that they style was “Probably from Central New Hampshire,” but elsewhere he said they were from Vermont. Both Vermont and New Hampshire are American Abenaki territory, so the ambiguity is annoying but not politically significant.

Earring

Ear or nose bob

L2024.3.28

This tiny ear or nose bob has a flattened split ring to engage the flesh, so it was probably not designed be worn with a piercing

Earring and Pendant Set

Earring and pendant set made from fluorite and other semi-precious stones. Pendant is rectangular in shape with a large white/beige stone in the center surrounded by alternating stones in red, blue, pink, and black. Pendant is suspended on a double cord of pink and black. Earrings are columnar in shape and consist of alternating bands of stone in red, blue, pink, yellow, and black. The set includes a velvet bag and original box.

L2024.3.86a-e

Hair Ornament

Wedge-shaped, brass woman's hair ornament with two arms at the base to form the comb with an upper, pierced decoration reminiscent of knotted rope. Crest of the piece has five loops. Surface is engraved with simple decoration.

L2024.3.22

This exquisite, engraved brass comb from Western Maine was a descendent of the common bone and ivory hair ornaments used by Native women all over New England.

Miniature Bow and Arrow Set

Miniature recurve bow with string through stave and waterfowl arrow. Arrow is tied to stave with strip of fabric.

L2024.3.72a-b

Made for the tourist trade

Miniature Canoe

Wood and birch bark canoe

L2024.3.54

This small canoe from Western New Hampshire is almost identical in construction to the common “Odanak Abenaki” model canoes sold by the ten thousand all over the Northeast and are still being made to this day. However, this one lacks the decking that is characteristic of the Odanak style that makes them almost look like a kayak. It is unclear whether this is an earlier, American Abenaki style, or a geographic variation, even if there are any others made in this style.

Miniature Snowshoes

wood and sinew snowshoes

L2024.3.53a-b

Miniature Toboggan

L2024.3.51

Nose Bob

silver, wing-shaped nose bob with British hallmarks. Wire added in 1995.

L2024.3.30

This little piece of silver is a real anomaly. This nose ornament was designed to hang from a wire or sinew thread from a pierced nose septum. This is a hallmarked British piece made in 1812 and may have been manufactured as another item before being formed into jewelry. Wiseman states: If early VT racism was as strong as we tend to believe, it is hard to imagine a Vermont Indigenous person feeling safe enough to wear this obvious sign of Native identity in early 19th century Vermont. I believe that the only possibility would be well-known “old Indians” who were seen as colorful characters in many early 19th century Northern New England towns. This may have been an early 19th century gift to one of these men.

Pendant

Beaver-shaped silver pendant

L2024.3.10

Ring Brooch

Ring brooch

L2024.3.5

Wiseman states: This brooch, along with L2024.3.4 and L2024.3.6-8, were found in a Riker mount in the group shop, with a Western NH provenance and an assurance that they were solid coin silver and old. They were in almost pristine condition without much if any crinkling of the central prong. I worry that they were good repros, but they are not embossed “India” like many modern reproductions. They were full price, so I bought them for the provenance, but am unsure of their age, since trade silver is not my specialty.

Ring Brooch

Small ring brooch

L2024.3.2

Wiseman states: as far as I know these three tiny, stamped ring brooches have not been reproduced for the reenactor trade. I purchased them from a reputable dealer who said in post purchased correspondence that they had a Salmon (Falls) River Valley (Border of Maine and NH) provenance and were found with some other 18th century personal items in an old house but would not give me the village they came from. They are in almost pristine condition.

Ring Brooch

Small ring brooch

L2024.3.1

Wiseman states: as far as I know these three tiny, stamped ring brooches have not been reproduced for the reenactor trade. I purchased them from a reputable dealer who said in post purchased correspondence that they had a Salmon (Falls) River Valley (Border of Maine and NH) provenance and were found with some other 18th century personal items in an old house but would not give me the village they came from. They are in almost pristine condition.

Ring Brooch

Ring brooch

L2024.3.6

Wiseman states: This brooch, along with L2024.3.4-5 and L2024.3.7-8, were found in a Riker mount in the group shop, with a Western NH provenance and an assurance that they were solid coin silver and old. They were in almost pristine condition without much if any crinkling of the central prong. I worry that they were good repros, but they are not embossed “India” like many modern reproductions. They were full price, so I bought them for the provenance, but am unsure of their age, since trade silver is not my specialty.

Ring Brooch

Small ring brooch

L2024.3.3

Wiseman states: as far as I know these three tiny, stamped ring brooches have not been reproduced for the reenactor trade. I purchased them from a reputable dealer who said in post purchased correspondence that they had a Salmon (Falls) River Valley (Border of Maine and NH) provenance and were found with some other 18th century personal items in an old house but would not give me the village they came from. They are in almost pristine condition.

Ring Brooch

Ring brooch

L2024.3.7

Wiseman states: This brooch, along with L2024.3.4-6 and L2024.3.8, were found in a Riker mount in the group shop, with a Western NH provenance and an assurance that they were solid coin silver and old. They were in almost pristine condition without much if any crinkling of the central prong. I worry that they were good repros, but they are not embossed “India” like many modern reproductions. They were full price, so I bought them for the provenance, but am unsure of their age, since trade silver is not my specialty.

Ring Brooch

Ring brooch

L2024.3.8

Wiseman states: This brooch, along with L2024.3.4-7, were found in a Riker mount in the group shop, with a Western NH provenance and an assurance that they were solid coin silver and old. They were in almost pristine condition without much if any crinkling of the central prong. I worry that they were good repros, but they are not embossed “India” like many modern reproductions. They were full price, so I bought them for the provenance, but am unsure of their age, since trade silver is not my specialty.

Ring Brooch

Ring brooch

L2024.3.4

Wiseman states: This brooch, along with L2024.3.5-8, were found in a Riker mount in the group shop, with a Western NH provenance and an assurance that they were solid coin silver and old. They were in almost pristine condition without much if any crinkling of the central prong. I worry that they were good repros, but they are not embossed “India” like many modern reproductions. They were full price, so I bought them for the provenance, but am unsure of their age, since trade silver is not my specialty.