This magnificent pouch is the collaborative efforts of two of the Longrifle Culture’s talented premier artists, Shawn Webster and James Blake. They have teamed up to produce an outstanding work for the 2010 CLA Fund Raising Auction to be held next month.
Based on an original in the collections of the Museum of Civilization (Ottawa, Canada), it is collective work showcasing the two artists’ various talents -- Blake’s finger weaving and Webster’s quill work. Though both are multi-talented artists, this pouch exhibits two of their strongest art forms.
BLAKE’S WEAVING: Woven with a tight two ply yarn (in the white) it was then dyed with a mix of madder root and Bloodroot, collected on James’ family's land in West Virginia. The beads were woven in on a separate linen thread as the weaving progressed, although James suggests there were multiple ways of applying the beads as original ethnographic examples show, such as the Amherst garters in the Chicago Field Museum. The beads are sewn in using the very same wool the piece was woven with. James finished the body and strap for the bag and off to Shawn Webster it went.
WEBSTER’S QUILLING: After receiving the finger woven material from James, Shawn put it all together. He first lined the piece with dyed linen material. The quillwork was copied from the original museum piece on which the contemporary pouch is based. All the quills were dyed using natural dyes then each one was sewn to the leather using 100% linen thread. The panels are both completely edged with quillwork as well. At the bottom are hand rolled tin cones filled with red dyed deer hair and each cone is quill wrapped.
This is a wonderful work of art by two experienced, talented artists and will make a great addition to anyone’s collection. Come to the CLA auction on August 20, 4 pm and put in your bid. For more information, visit:
http://www.longrifle.com/.
Copy and photos supplied by David Wright.
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