Materials

Bear paw design quillbox front view, signed by the maker Yvonne W. Keshick, 4” x 2” dimensions. Photo by Isabella Briseno.

This particular box, created to teach others the art of quill box making, is constructed from a variety of materials, including birch bark, sweet grass, sinew binding, and of course, porcupine needles. The gathering and processing of these materials is a formidable endeavor. In an interview, Yvonne Walker Keshick, the maker of this particular box with over 40 years of quillwork experience explained some of this complex work.“In the summer time the porcupine will eat anything, and its quills are oily…and the quills aren’t of the best quality” (VanDeCar et al., 7). Instead “the prime pelt is in January and February”. Further, a single porcupine can yield 30-40 thousand quills which each must be cleaned, and may also be died to create colored patterns. She explains the importance of harvesting the birch bark at the right time. By harvesting the bark during the growing season, from May to around June, the bark may be safely extracted without harming the tree, an important step in sustainable resource procurement (United States, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, & Kitchens, J).