Every quill on this box was placed by hand. The Quillwork Box is a birch bark container in the Great Lakes Woodland tradition — an art form mastered by Ojibwe, Odawa, and neighboring nations, in which softened porcupine quills are threaded one by one through awl-pierced bark, their ends bent flat inside to lock the design without a drop of glue. A six-petaled blossom in ivory and green spreads across her lid, with quill accents continuing down the front panel, and her edges are bound in tight hand-stitched lashing. Inside, the bark has deepened to a rich amber that only decades can produce.
Mid-20th century, artist unknown. Approx. 4x3x1.5”. Some quill loss to one petal, shown in photos; remaining quillwork, interior bark, and hinge lashing all sound. A piece of genuine handwork, offered with its history honestly told.
