Sacramento River, California, United States, North America
Accession Date:
1858
Collection Date:
1841
Notes:
The catalogue cards had variously attributed this object as Maidu, and then later that was changed to River Patwin, but Jane Walsh has listed it as Nisenan, per Dr. Sally McLendon. This blanket or robe was at some point renumbered to 2119. Jane Walsh feels it should be # 2109, Peale # 309 (or 310). She indicates that the object originally numbered 2119 was exchanged with Denmark (a down blanket similar to # E1296B), and identifies it as probably Peale # 311.
Feather blanket constructed of birdskins wrapped around twisted vegetable fiber cords, with two outer dark brown borders, two adjacent white bands, two broader brownish yellow stripes and a center stripe of white. The two darker brown borders (wood duck "aix sponsa" and mallard "anas platyrhynchos); the narrow white bands adjacent are probably duck down and the flank or lower breast feathers of the canada goose "branta canadensis"; the broad brownish-yellow stripes of vermiculated feathers on either side of the center stripe are wood duck flank feathers with some mallard flank feathers. The center stripe is canada goose breast (light brown with lighter tips) and down, with some mallard (finely vermiculated feathers tied in). Publication: USNM Annual Report - Handbook of the N. American Indians, vol. 8, Calif., fig. 8, p. 378. Exhibited Magnificent Voyagers, National Museum Of Natural History, 1985-86. Exhibited sites, "Magnificent Voyagers," 1987-90.
From card: "This is feathered the same on each side, the warp cords are heavy braided fibers probably of indian hemp (apocymum cannabinum), at spaced intervals. The thinner weft cords bind the stripped feathers in bunches. These feathers have been identified by Dr. H. Deignan, Nov. 1954. The wide outer borders: black & deep brown outer feathers of one of the maritime scoters: Oidemia nigra, Melanitta fusca, or Mel. perspicillata; the feathers glossed with green or blue/purple are from the wing speculum of the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Chestnut ones from the breast of the mallard. The narrow white border, next in from the dark one, which looks like rabbit fur is probably from the ventral down and feathers of the gull (Larus). The center is composed of three wide stripes: A. the two similar outer ones are the vermiculated feathers of the mallard. B. the central band is the ventral down feathers of the female mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The scoters are coastal birds and must have been traded inland, but the mallards are native to the area where the Maidu lived. Most of the darker feathers are lighter than in freshly killed birds, but this is the natural condition of the older feathers, as these are. Refer to: Capt. Ch. Wilkes Report of the U.S. Exploring Exped., Vol 5, pg. 197 gives details of place of collection. Herbert Krieger: Amer. Indian Costumes in the U.S.N.M., Smith. An. Report, 1928, pg. 643, pl 12. Ch. Willoughby: Feather Mantles of California, Amer. Anthro. , N.S. vol. 24. (1922), pg. 432-7, a thorough discussion of one in each of the American Museum of Natural History, NYC and the Peabody Museum, Harvard. Dr. Mathew Stirling also records that there is a similar one in the Museum of Ethnology, Frankfurt Germany, collected 1830 by Admiral Wrangel in the S.S. New Albion."
1. The outer dark borders are, without doubt, Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) and Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos. There are no scoter feathers. The Wood Duck feathers employed include the secondaries (the speculum), wing coverts and featners from the flank of the male. The Mallard speculuin (of either sex) is also used. 2. The narrow white bands adjacent to the dark outer border are probably duck down (unspecified) and flank or lo'der breast (belly) feathers of the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). 3. The broad brownish-yellow stripes of vermiculated feathers on either side of the center stripe are mostly Wood Duck flank feathers, with some Mallard flank feathers mixed in. These feathers have become faded with age. 4. The center stripe is Canada Gocre breast (light brown with lighter tips) and down, with some Mallard (finely vermiculated feathers tied in. Since a large portion of the blanket consists of wood Duck feathers and Wood Ducks are exclusively fresh water inhabitants (preferring the lower, slow-moving parts of rivers), it is probable that the feathers originated inland in the Sacramento Valley. Canada Geese frequent inland prairies, loafing in fresh water ponds, lakes or large streams. Mallards occur throughout California, but also generally prefer fresh water ponds, rivers or marshes. Re-examined by Ms. R. Laybourne (FWS), S. Olson, curator, and J. P. Angle, museum specialist, Division of Birds.
Reference: McLendon, Sally, 2001, "California Feather Blankets: Objects of Wealth and Status in Two Nineteenth-Century Worlds", pp. 132-161 in Feest, Christian F. 2001. Studies in American Indian art: a memorial tribute to Norman Feder. Altenstadt, Germany: European Review of Native American Studies. Sally McLendon indicates that only speakers of Konkow and Nisenan who lived in the Sacramento Valley made feather blankets. McLendon theorizes that this blanket likely was a gift to the U.S. Exploring Expedition from John Sutter, and thus could be from Nisenan speakers on the American River.
