Fort Berthold (not certain) / Fort Stevenson (not certain), Mclean County (not certain), Dakota Territory (not certain) / North Dakota (not certain), United States, North America
Accession Date:
18 Feb 1869
Collection Date:
1867 to 1868
Notes:
From card: "A tube of hard wood. The sound hole is 3/32 of an inch wide and one in. rectangular, about midway of the sound hole the base is filled with a narrow plug of pitch. The upper part of sound hole is covered with a split quill lashed with sinews, the lower edge of quill, about even with the lower face of the pitch plug and leaving an air channel between the quill cover and plug. Another split quill covers the lower part of sound hole with a space of a quarter of an inch between the quills. This quill forms the sharp edge or lip of the sound hole. Five finger holes are made in the tube below the sound hole, one of which is filled with pitch. A stuffed ring of leather is placed on the tube which fits it closely at one place. This ring is constricted by a string, by adjusting this constricted portion over the sound hole, a slight change in the pitch of the sound can be made. This ring is decorated with beads, porcupine quills, and feathers.”
PROVENIENCE NOTE: PROVENIENCE IS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN, BUT IS LIKELY IN THE AREA OF FORT STEVENSON/FORT BERTHOLD, AS THE LEDGER LISTS AS "MADE BY REE INDIANS, USED BY BERTHOLD INDIANS" AND THE TWO COLLECTORS, DRS. GRAY AND MATTHEWS, WERE POSTED TO THIS AREA IN THE LATE 1860'S. THE TWO FORTS WERE ONLY A FEW MILES APART. DR. MATTHEWS WAS POSTED FROM 1865-7 FORT UNION AND FORT BERTHOLD, DAKOTA TERR.. COLLECTOR DR. GRAY WAS POSTED 1866-7 FORT RANDALL, DAKOTA TERRITORY; 1867 ALSO FORT BUFORD, DAKOTA TERRITORY; 1867-1868 FORT STEVENSON, DAKOTA TERRITORY.
Listed in original AMM catalog as #129, Fife. Antique.
