Rectangular birch bark box with quillwork. Made of birch bark and porcupine quills by Agnes Shenanaquet. 1960–1969. Michigan. Ethnology, Warner Collection. UMMAA 2008-17-26.

Ottawa basket maker Agnes Shenanaquet (1908–1982), of Good Hart (Emmet County), Michigan, made this small birch bark box in the 1960s. Ms. Shenanaquet was known nationally for her artistry and intricate quillwork. In 1981, she exhibited her work at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife. The lid of this rectangular box bears a spray of three flowers of white and yellow-dyed quills on the lid; geometric diamond and line motifs wrap around the sides of the box.

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In honor of the University of Michigan’s 2017 bicentennial, we are celebrating the remarkable archaeological and ethnographic collections and rich legacy of research and teaching at the Museum of Anthropological Archaeology by posting one entry a day for 200 days. The entries will highlight objects from the collections, museum personalities, and UMMAA expeditions. The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology is also posting each day for 200 days on Twitter and Facebook (follow along at #KMA200). After the last post, an exhibition on two centuries of archaeology at U-M opens at the Kelsey. Visit the exhibit—a joint project of the UMMAA and the Kelsey—from October 18, 2017 to May 27, 2018.