Izhichige - Technique
The three-dimensional effect on the lid was created using a tufting technique. To produce this result, porcupine quills are sewn in small loops through the birch bark of the basket and the ends are trimmed into the desired shape (Eskenazi Museum of Art, 2012). Moose and caribou hair tufting has existed since the 1920s, while quillwork tufting was developed more recently (NWT Arts). Rose Kimewon-Williams, of the Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, credits herself with creating the quill tufting technique (Fenimore Art Museum). For more information on the history of quillwork and tufting, and to see how porcupine quills are collected, click here.