Robe Item Number: 841/25 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Rectangular wool robe with designs all around border and a long fringe along three edges. The off-white blanket has a narrow geometric border around all the edges; red and purple along the top and bottom and red, purple, blue along the sides. The off-white fringe runs along three edges with red strands between, evenly spaced all around.
Narrative
In 1982, a grandson of John Clayton (D'arcy Christensen) said the robe was acquired by his grandfather around 1870, in Bella Coola, as a trade item. Clayton was a Hudson's Bay Co. factor in Bella Coola, the first in the area. The robe was handed down through the family to Christensen, who sold it via Pappas Traders, at auction. There is a Canadian Museum of History archives photograph (50119) of what appears to be this robe, where the notes say it was made of mountain goat wool, together with a little white man's yarn in the fringe, by an old Bella Coola woman doctor named Sa Koola aulili. The photograph is one of a series of photographs taken by Harlan Smith, of Mrs. Clayton's collection. (Refer to "The Bella Coola Valley: Harlan I. Smith's Fieldwork Photographs, 1920-1924" edited by L.H. Tepper, 1991.)
Specific Techniques
This robe was made using a fine, two-strand twining technique.
Item History
- Made in Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada before 1870
- Collected in Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada during 1870
- Owned by John Clayton
- Owned by Pappas Traders before October 25, 1982
- Received from Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Pappas Traders (Seller) on October 25, 1982
What
- Name
- Robe
- Identification Number
- 841/25
- Type of Item
- robe
- Material
- sheep wool fibre, dye, jute fibre, cedar bark and mountain goat wool fibre
- Manufacturing Technique
- “twining” ?
- Overall
- height 135.0 cm, width 185.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- Nuxalk
- Previous Owner
- John Clayton and Pappas Traders
- Received from
- Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) and Pappas Traders (Seller)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada
- Collected in
- Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- before 1870
- Collection Date
- during 1870
- Ownership Date
- before October 25, 1982
- Acquisition Date
- on October 25, 1982
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- good
- Current Location
- Case 26
- Accession Number
- 0841/0025