Covered quillwork box

Anishinaabe artist

1932

Birchbark, quills, thread, plant fibers

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A round, lidded box is decorated with quillwork in a starburst or leaf pattern on the lid and a band around the sides. The box is made of natural materials. A round, lidded box is decorated with quillwork in a starburst or leaf pattern on the lid and a band around the sides. The box is made of natural materials. Created by Anishinaabe and Inuit fiber artists, this collection showcases the creativity and skill of Native women artists who transform indigenous materials gathered from their homelands into works of art. The technical mastery and ingenuity of these artist appears in the ability to utilize porcupine quills, birchbark, and locally-harvested plant materials to create intricately adorned and finely woven baskets. For more than two centuries, Native women created a market for birc