Knife Sheath Made from Blue Stroud

Materials

wool

skin

sinew

silk

porcupine quill

iron

hair

Techniques

woven

sewn

quillwork

Date

1700-1820 (?)

Description

Knife sheath, formed of two pieces of blue stroud woollen cloth, the back pieces with two pointed ears or lobes to which are attached an unusual plaited fibre cord. The sheath was formerly edged with blue silk and decorated with porcupine quillwork. Down the axis were three lines of zig zag line technique quillwork in blue and orange, enclosed in meandering white quilled lines. At the top edge were two lines of blue and orange zig zag line technique quillwork, with an enclosed panel below outlined in meandering white lines. At the top lobes were formerly attached hair filled iron cones, of which two small ones, and one big one, unusually filled with blue hair, remain. The sheath is in terminal condition.

Dimensions Length: 21 centimetres (without strap) Width: 5 centimetres Length: 30 centimetres (of strap as is in loop)

Condition Terminal; the cloth and quillwork if very fragmentary.

Copy and photos from The British Museum.