Otterskin bag

Titles: Otterskin bag (Supplied title)

Description: Otter skin medicine bag with feet and tail trimmed in spot stitch beadwork. The bag consists of an entire otter skin, fur side out, with glass seed beadwork visible on underside. Beadwork is missing from the right front paw. Each of the other paws features geometric beadwork in a rectangle with three beaded hanging strips terminating in short yarn tassels. Beadwork is predominantly white and blue with yellow and red. The bag's opening consists of an elliptical slit at the throat hemmed with cloth. Bag was originally documented as a tobacco pouch or case. Possibly Ojibwe.

Dates

  • Not later than 1920 (Use)

Identifiers

  • Accession Number: 567

Restrictions

  • Through curatorial review and/or additional consultation with American Indian elders, spiritual leaders, tribal officers or lineal descendants, this item has been determined to be culturally sensitive. As advised by the Minnesota Historical Society Indian Advisory Committee on April 20, 2012, the Minnesota Historical Society will not display images of culturally sensitive items on the public database.

Credit: Minnesota Historical Society Collections, Gift of the Sibley House Association of the Minnesota Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Holding Type: 3D Objects

Quantity: 1 item

Format

  • Content Category: artifacts

Measurements

  • 40 1/2 inches length
  • 7 1/8 inches width (widest point)

Subjects

How can we help?