Courtesy City of Montreal, Records Management and Archives

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Wôbanakiak Woman and Man

This rare surviving watercolor of a Wôbanakiak woman and man illustrates the way in which Native Americans adapted European textiles to their own customs and fashions. The couple wears articles of both traditional and European materials. Their silver jewelry includes ear wheels, nose rings, wrist bands, and a "moon" gorget. The blankets, the short gown on the woman, and the elaborate hoods on both figures are constructed of European cloth. Their skin moccasins and the finger-woven garter (visible on the man's leg over blue wool leggings) are Wôbanakiak. The artist of this 18th-century watercolor is unknown.

Date: 18th century 
Topic: Portraits 
Materials: Paper, watercolors
Dimensions: currently unavailable 
Accession #:


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