This turtle shell shoulder bag was made from an actual Eastern musk turtles' shell. This is made by Paul St John, Mohawk craftsman. There is an elk leather bag that fits inside the turtle shell and has on its' flap a beaded periwinkle blue flower & green leaves with porcupine quills at center of each petal. Beads are glass seed beads - The center of the flower is a larger transparent yellow glass bead.
A pond across a road in front of Paul's house is home to more than one turtle species - and raccoons, bears, large birds (such as eagles) and large fishhunt the turtles there - some turtles are killed by cars as they cross the road. Paul finds the shells of these casualties and uses them, as did his ancestors, in many ways. Friends of Paul's give him shells they have found also - This shell is from the "Stinkpot" turtle - also known as a musk turtle - this is one of the most common species of turtle in Maine.
The shell is 7.5" long, it is 6." across and about 2.5" deep (the bag fits inside the shell - so these are the dimensions of the bag The leather flap closes over the front of the shell/bag and is 4.5" long and 4.25" wide. The braided leather strap is 22" from top center of strap to side of shell/bag at it's attachment point. Strap is 1/2" wide and quite sturdy. There is fringe on the bottom of the bag which hangs 8" below the bag. 3 strips of leather fringe dangle from side of strap attachment points and 2 stips of fringe ar attached to back of shell - 1 either side, 1 center
Wear it over your shoulder - or tie it to a belt.
Wabanaki & Iroquois traditionally made and used various types of bags, medicine bags and shoulder bags, of varying styles, sizes, materials and designs. The Wabanaki confederation tribes include Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and MicMac (Mi'kmaq is one of the Canadian spellings of MicMac).
You can use this as part of your regalia, it would hold quite a lot inside - wallet, money, small jewelry medicine pouch, etc. Or you can use it as a spectacular display piece.
Last 2 photos of turtle shell bag are of the back - underside of the turtle - the plaston - the underside of the shell, which is flat and has different markings/color than shell top.
Paul St. John now lives in Maine, near his mother's Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac relatives. He is an enrolled Mohawk and grew up on the Mohawk lands in New York, his father's tribe. 2nd from last photo in slideshow is of Paul St John and 2 of his other works. Last photo is of his Mohawk grandmother, Amelia St John who taught him beading.
Paul St John also makes birchbark, porcupine quill and coiled sweetgrass baskets, beaded knife cases, traditional dolls, water drums, birch bark rattles, beaded barrettes and moccasins among numerous other traditional crafts - check out more of his work in this ebay store.