Material Culture

scroll down for many more images from this chapter

The Mi'kmaq are noted for their beautiful crafts; many in NSARM's holdings are illustrated in this section. Nova Scotia's contribution to the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 included numerous items of native manufacture – baskets, mats, a canoe, paddles, a cradle, chairs, hoods, moccasins, a dress, fans, purses and cigar cases. Works of art and photographs frequently show Native peoples with examples of their artistic handcrafts – in traditional dress with quill boxes, baskets and other birchbark items. See examples in Family and Friends, Portraits and Portrayals and Regalia and Remembrance. On rarer occasions, photographers actually show craft persons engaged in creating a traditional product – Trades and Livelihoods.