Small, handmade tin pail filled with dyed green porcupine quills.
Use
Native Americans used porcupine quills to create elaborately embroidered decorations on clothing, boxes, bags, and more.
Context
After trapping a porcupine and collecting its quills, artists would color the quills by boiling them in vegetable dye. They would then fold, twist, and braid the quills, using a variety of techniques to create their desired designs. Although beadwork eventually replaced quillwork in popularity, some Native artists still practice and celebrate this art form today.
