Technique of Porcupine Quill Decoration among the Indians of North America
Porcupine quill decoration is a craft that is unique to the Indians of North America; a craft that can be found nowhere else in the world. Prior to about 1840 it was the principle means of decoration among most of this continent's Nations and as such one would suppose that there would be innumerable studies, books and articles about the subject. One of the reasons for this edition of Orchard's work (which was originally written in 1917) is that such is not the case. Some eighty years after...
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Porcupine quill decoration is a craft that is unique to the Indians of North America; a craft that can be found nowhere else in the world. Prior to about 1840 it was the principle means of decoration among most of this continent's Nations and as such one would suppose that there would be innumerable studies, books and articles about the subject. One of the reasons for this edition of Orchard's work (which was originally written in 1917) is that such is not the case. Some eighty years after the first publication, this work remains the best single source on traditional porcupine quill work and Orchard remains the acknowledged expert in the field.The book is fully illustrated and features a color center section of examples of the art form. The plates and diagrams show every facet of quillwork from plaiting through wrapping. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow for the craftsperson and the pictures and text make this a treasure for anyone interested in the craftwork of Native Americans.As was done in the 1971 reprint of the first edition, no attempt has been made to revise the original text, figures or plates. However, four of the plates were destroyed and have been replaced by photographs of quilled articles taken from the editor's personal collection. The map was created for the reprint by Mr. Douglas Waugh and has not been changed.This book is an enduring classic and the Eagle's View edition is currently in its fifth printing.
