Stunning 19th Century Mi'kmaq Birch Covered, Porcupine Quill Decorated Box for the summer house a bit of a mystery--but

a bit of a mystery--but a really beautiful one

)--or with some effort I think one could probably get them properly back in their intended spots

Good antique condition with some dryness and light cracking to the unfinished wood

and a Superiore cigar box label portrait on the underside of the lid

3" x 5 1/8"

Stunning 19th Century Mi'kmaq Birch Covered, Porcupine Quill Decorated Box for the summer house a bit of a mystery--butThis is the sort of thing I really can't believe exists in the world; the craftmanship is so exquisite, and the manipulation of the materials such a challenging and laborious process, that its creation, to say nothing of its endurance, just amazes me. (It is many times more beautiful in person, and extremely viscerally satisfying.) I come across small Native American bark boxes decorated with porcupine quills now and then, most made for the tourist