A traditional style medicine bag/pouch made of turtle shell, soft tanned deer hide with porcupine quill and glass beads/beadwork by Mohawk craftsman, Paul St John. His ancestors made and used similar bags/pouches for hundreds of years. The turtle features in the Iroquois/Mohawk creation legend and is a clan species in several Northeast and Woodland tribes.
The turtle shell used here is that of a common musk turtle (also known as a "stinkpot" turtle). This species of turtle is not endangered. Paul collects the shells of turtles eaten by raccoons or run over on the road near his home. Across the road is a pond where these "stinkpots" live.
The soft leather bag lines the inside of the turtle shell, a top flap has a beadwork flower and beaded border around it. Here the flower is of light green iridescent glass beads with a porcupine quill at the center of each of the flower's petals. A large yellow glass bead is at the center of the flower. There are darker iridescent glass beads forming leaves, stem and used for the border around the top flap. There is long leather fringe at the bottom of the shell/bag. There is a long neck-strap - or this could be tied to a belt or sash. Great regalia item... Also can be hung as a display item
This bag/shell is 4.75" long from top of closed flap to bottom of the shell, it is 4" across and 2" deep. The soft deer hide fringe hangs 6" below the bottom of the shell and the neck strap is 19" long from center back to top of shell..... (strap is attached at top sides of the shell). This strap can be knotted to make it shorter if you wish.
Paul St. John now lives in Maine. He is an enrolled Mohawk tribal member. He grew up on the Mohawk lands in New York, his father's homeland. His mother is Passamaquoddy/MicMac/Maliseet - When I saw his work I knew immediately I needed to offer his great baskets. While quill work and coiled sweetgrass baskets are historically Maine Indian traditional crafts, currently no one in Maine but Paul St. John is actively practicing this craft. - Passamaquoddy basketmakers, Jeremy Frey and Otter, both have used some quill work on their ash splint baskets... but quill work on coiled sweetgrass baskets are Paul St John's specialty. Check out other items by Paul St John in this ebay store, traditionally dressed dolls, birch bark and porcupine quill boxes, picture frames and knife sheaths, traditional Iroquois beadwork and more!
Watch this store for more of his pieces. Can't wait to see what he is going to create next.