Record

Collection	ABDUA University of Aberdeen, Human Culture Collection
Object Name	Moccasin (pair)
Object Name	shoe
Object Number	ABDUA:5539
Other Number	E132
Other Number Type	old number
Brief Description	Pair of moccasins, relatively small, perhaps for a woman or young boy. Smoked deerskin constructed in one piece of hide. Centre vamp seam and centre heel seam. Heel seam is edged with an unusual cross motif. Cuffs are attached but not sewn on. Unusual porcupine quills edge the cuffs in black and white quill braided edging. Quill work embroidery on heel seam: a single row of zigzag band. Each side of the cuff has a triple row of quillwork zigzag band with identical geometric motif row in black, white and red. Similar single row of zigzag band on centre seam. The centre seam quills on one moccasin are orange - possibly faded red? The puckered toe has a horn motif (reversed double curve motif) around the seam. One of the moccasins has two metal cones with dyed red hair and quill wrapping at top of cone attached at the centre of the horn motif; these are missing from the other moccasin. There are 4 pairs of metal cones with red dyed deer hair on each cuff. Deer hair does not appear to be evenly trimmed, suggesting these were made for sale. No signs of wear.
Dimensions	L: 246mm, W: 80 mm; Cuffs L: 145 mm, H: 73 mm
Materials	leather, buck skin, porcupine skills, deer/horse hair
Maker	Great Lakes? Sioux? Iroquois?
Object Production Date	1830
Place Key	North America, Eastern Plains?
Inscription Content	Old label: "E. Sioux 1890" [incorrect according to Ruth Phillips and Alison Brown 2009]. Second old label: "Moccasins North America".
Publication Note	Reid R W (1912) Illustrated Catalogue of the Anthropological Museum University of Aberdeen, p263 (Item 132) Old label listed Eastern Sioux. A 19-10-2010 photo of these moccasins is titled 'pos[sibly]Iroquois c1770"

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