An Interesting Woodlands Native American Engraved Powder Horn , probably Penobscot , Maine , Dated 1796 . With wood plug to cork top , cow horn , cork , nails and wood
An Interesting Woodlands Native American Engraved Powder Horn , probably Penobscot , Maine , Dated 1796 . With wood plug to cork top , cow horn , cork , nails and wood
Circa 1796
Size : 51 cm long – 20 ins long
The Penobscot and Passamaguoddy lived in Maine and due to French and British colonial rivalry the full impact of European settlement in their territory had been postponed until the 1760’s . They had , however been accustomed to fire arms as early as the 1670’s but they resisted involvement with either side in their conflicts , with the result that both the French and English put a high price on any Penobscot’s scalp .
As a result of their relative independence these tribes had been able to adjust their way of life to more gradually changing conditions without losing cultural identity . Several of these cultural adjustments are reflected in their art of the late 18 th century and 19 th centuries .
Until the 1850’s these north eastern Indians commonly wore dark blue and red cloth garments which were noticeably different from those of the white people . Most prominent were the military style coats of the men and the peaked hoods of the women . Festive versions of these garments were decorated with fine ribbon appliqué and curvilinear designs of white beads . Similar designs were carved and painted on canoe paddles and engraved on powder horns such as this .
Circa 1796
Size : 51 cm long – 20 ins long
The Penobscot and Passamaguoddy lived in Maine and due to French and British colonial rivalry the full impact of European settlement in their territory had been postponed until the 1760’s . They had , however been accustomed to fire arms as early as the 1670’s but they resisted involvement with either side in their conflicts , with the result that both the French and English put a high price on any Penobscot’s scalp .
As a result of their relative independence these tribes had been able to adjust their way of life to more gradually changing conditions without losing cultural identity . Several of these cultural adjustments are reflected in their art of the late 18 th century and 19 th centuries .
Until the 1850’s these north eastern Indians commonly wore dark blue and red cloth garments which were noticeably different from those of the white people . Most prominent were the military style coats of the men and the peaked hoods of the women . Festive versions of these garments were decorated with fine ribbon appliqué and curvilinear designs of white beads . Similar designs were carved and painted on canoe paddles and engraved on powder horns such as this .
cf : for an example in the Peter H Tillou collection , Litchfield, Connecticut : Art of the North American Indians : The Thaw Collection , Fenimore Art Museum , 2000
An Interesting Woodlands Native American Engraved Powder Horn , probably Penobscot , Maine , Dated 1796 . With wood plug to cork top , cow horn , cork , nails and wood
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