I got the creative idea to make this bag after reading an account of natives raiding a settlement and the writter discribes the natives leaving the cabin wearing some of the womens clothing, chemis etc.. The bag is made from a ladies pocket that was made by Bob Browder. I opened the top and the side opening sewn shut. I added a false flap of brain tan deer which I quilled and beaded. Antiqued tin and brass cones with dyed deer hair were added also. The strap is made from the ribbon of the pocket which is secured to each side of the bag by two leather thongs. The ribbon can be removed and the bag simply tied to a sash or belt to carry any sorts of items.. There is no origonal like this in some museum or drawing.. Its just a inspired creation from reading first had accounts, documentation and an attempt at making something from that gained knowledge and interpretation of the creativity the natives had when it came to adapting various items into a use all their own. The quillwork done by me on this bag is only my third attempt at quilling as I am being taught by Shawn so dont judge it to harshly
When Robert Weil started collecting images for the Contemporary Makers book in 1973 the challenge to record contemporary gun work was daunting. Gathering material was difficult and time consuming. Few makers thought that there was any value in published documentation of their work. Electronic publishing has changed all that. Having a website or having one's work available to view on the internet is becoming a necessity. In spite of all the potential to finally have a true overview of what's being produced by the artists of today, a great deal of work still remains covered up and basically unknown. Our role is to make an effort to document some portion of what’s going on today. To comment on the established makers and to uncover the unknown. We welcome your comments and suggestions and look to you our readers to make us aware of the talented makers out there. Art and Jan Riser Robert Weil and The Makers