Tumpline

Item number 2710/1 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Elm bark tumpline, called tar in the Ainu language. Stiff front panel of woven brown and cream cotton has design of two arrows or rocket ships ? facing each other, with an X shape in the middle. Bark is braided, then twisted into long ties and knotted at the ends.

History Of Use

Tumplines are usually tied to baskets or bundles and worn against the forehead. This frees the hands for collecting, etc.

Narrative

The tumpline was given to Cranmer Webster by the artist in 1997. In 1986 she was invited to an international conference in Sweden, sponsored by UNESCO (she was recommended by staff at the American Museum of Natural History, who had worked with her). At the conference Gloria met Shigeru Kayano (1926-2006), an important political and cultural leader of the Ainu. Gloria, and others at Alert Bay, invited 20 Ainu people to visit them, including Kayano. The visit was celebrated with a dinner in the Alert Bay bighouse.