Pair Of Moccasins Item Number: E20816-0 from the National Museum of Natural History

Notes

FROM OLD 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH CARD: "MOCCASINS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST INDIANS. MADE OF REINDEER SKIN; SEAM DOWN THE FRONT; SOLES OF SAME MATERIAL; ANKLE PIECES OF SKIN OR CLOTH; TONGUE PIECE OF CLOTH, WITH OR WITHOUT EMBROIDERY. THE PLAN OF THESE SHOES RESEMBLES THOSE OF TRIBES EAST OF THE ROCKIES, BUT THE TOE IS FINISHED OFF WITH A CROSS-SEAM. SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA. 20,816; 20,796; 165,148. COLLECTED BY ... J. G. SWAN"Ruth Demmert, Virginia Oliver, Florence Sheakley, Alan Zuboff, and Linda Wynne made the following comments during the Tlingit Recovering Voices Community Research Visit, March 13-March 24, 2017. These moccasins were made by the same person who made E020817-0. This object is probably made out of thin moosehide, not reindeer. The Tlingit would have only used reindeer if it was acquired through trade, since they would use any material they had. Moosehide has varying thicknesses, and can be spliced or sliced to make thinner layers. These moccasins also feature either cloth, flannel, or thick canvas.The decorations on this design are made with hand sewn thread, not beads.