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Reposted by Nova Scotia Museum

Ian Loughead @ianloughead.bsky.social · 15h

Robot vacuums in museums main hazard, ethafoam sheets.

Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 15h

This beautifully woven shopping basket, made in the 1800s, is a testament to the enduring tradition of Mi'kmaw basketry. Crafted from ash splints, sweet grass, and cotton fiber, it showcases the intricate twill and checker plaiting techniques that have been passed down for generations.

Shopping basket, woven; Mi'kmaq; wood-splint (maple or poplar) basket, chequer-weave, rectangular base rising to a flared oval rim edged with sweetgrass. Decoration on one side of appliequed flowers, petals of centres of two small round basket bases, woven up sides for about three splints' worth.

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Reposted by Nova Scotia Museum

Tim Fedak PhD @timfedak.bsky.social · 5d

A wonderful celebration of #GeodiversityDay in the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark - ⚒️ see more and Like/Follow at: facebook.com/DrawingGeopa...

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 5d

This chair panel is currently on display the Museum of Natural History as part of the work of artist, Jordan Bennett. Art like the quillwork chair panel inspires and informs Jordan’s work. It’s a powerful demonstration of how the past informs the present and future.

#mikmawhistorymonth

Quill work chair back with a mosaic of white, red, black, orange, blue, lavender and pink aniline-dyed porcupine quills. Incorporated into a contemporary Birch bark panel by artist Jordan Bennett.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 5d

The eight-pointed star you see on this panel is a common motif on 19th-century quillwork and continues to be popular in contemporary Mi’kmaw designs. Visually stunning and technically flawless, these are among the finest examples of quill work found anywhere.

Quill work chair seat with a mosaic of white, red, black, orange, blue, lavender and pink aniline-dyed porcupine quills.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 5d

This Mi’kmaw chair panel was made by stitching together two pieces of birch bark with spruce root. One side was then decorated with a mosaic of white, red, black, orange, blue, lavender and pink aniline-dyed porcupine quills.

Quill work chair back with a mosaic of white, red, black, orange, blue, lavender and pink aniline-dyed porcupine quills.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 6d

Either Mrs. Maloney or Mrs. Christopher Paul of Shubenacadie made the seat and back panels for this quilled, birch-bark chair in 1892, most likely for an Indian Agent.

This Porcupine Quill-Work Chair is on display at the Museum of Natural History.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 6d

What do you get when you combine traditional Mi’kmaw quill work with furniture-making techniques of the 1800s? A triumph in design that became all the rage in Victorian Nova Scotia.

The chair has a dark, reddish-brown stained wood frame with turned legs and a carved, scalloped crest rail supported by small spindles. The key feature is the decorative splint-woven back panel and woven seat.

The tall, rectangular back panel is filled with woven materials decorated with porcupine quills, dyed fibers, or fabric appliques in a vibrant, complex geometric design. The pattern features a large central eight-pointed star or rosette in light brown, red, blue, and black, surrounded by bold wedges and checkerboard patterns in white, red, black, and gold/tan.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 7d

This quill box is one of the oldest in our collection. We think it was made for a resident of Elmsdale in the 1800s and was given to the Nova Scotia Museum for safekeeping in 1931.

This quill box is on display at the Museum of Natural History.

Quill box. The sides of the three stacked layers are wrapped with alternating dark and white or light-colored porcupine quills or birchbark, forming repeating geometric patterns (primarily diamonds, crosses, and squares).The removable lid is oval-shaped and decorated with a contrasting design.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 7d

The Mi’kmaq have long used porcupine quills and birch bark to make objects of great beauty. The technique involves inserting the tips of the quills into holes made in wet bark, which contracts as it dries, holding the quills firmly in place. Artists then cut the bark into different shapes.

Quill box. The removable lid is oval-shaped and decorated with a contrasting design.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 8d

As you wish

Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 8d

The basket also demonstrates the remarkable qualities of ash as a basketry material. Both strong and supple, ash splints are equally well-suited to fashioning sturdy work baskets and fine, decorative pieces like this one.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 8d

This Mi’kmaw sewing basket, with its hanging balls, decorative rosettes and nesting bird, is the culmination of centuries of basket-making skill. Imagine the patience and attention to detail that’s required to make a work of art like this one.

#mikmaq #mikmawhistorymonth #mikmaw

A close-up photograph of a Mi'kmaq sewing basket. The basket is two-tiered: a larger, rounded bowl rests on a smaller, flared base that resembles a pedestal. The body of the basket is woven with horizontal and vertical splints, creating a tight rectangular pattern.

The basket is highly decorated with various woven ornaments. Around the top tier are several flattened, stylized flowers. The lid is slightly domed and has a woven, looped handle on top, with a small, woven, cone-shaped decoration placed next to it. Several other small, cone-shaped ornaments hang from the lower edge of the top tier and are applied to the base.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 13d

Unexpected closure
Clifton Museum Park will be closed for the rest of the day, October 1, 2025. and all day tomorrow, October 2, 2025.

Graphic with text Unexpected closure, Clifton Museum Park.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 13d

Treaty Day marks the start of Mi'kmaw History Month in Nova Scotia.

The goal of the month is to help Nova Scotians build awareness of Mi’kmaw history & heritage & to increase understanding of the province’s rich Mi’kmaw culture.

We are all Treaty People.

archives.novascotia.ca/mikmaq/resul...

A page from the Peace and Friendship Treaties at the Nova Scotia Archives.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 15d

These ceramics are currently on display at the Museum of Natural History in the Pjila'si gallery.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 15d

Roger believes there are many more ceramic pieces like these in antique shops or personal collections. We welcome anyone with similar pieces to contact us. Work like this is helping to fill in a huge blank spot in the history of Residential Schools. museum.novascotia.ca/blog/residen...

A glossy, dark brown ceramic cat figurine sits next to a shallow bowl with a vibrant green, red, and brown mottled glaze. Both objects are positioned on a solid white background.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 15d

These pieces were then sold to the public, as seen from the price sticker on the bottom of the cat. The profits likely never found their way back to the creators.

The unglazed, orange-brown ceramic base of a bowl with a colorful green, red, and brown mottled glaze visible around the bottom rim. A small, circular, faded yellow label is affixed to the center of the terracotta base, reading 'INDIAN RES. SCHOOL SHUBIE NOVA SCOTIA,' referring to the Shubenacadie Residential School.

The underside of a glossy brown ceramic cat figurine, isolated on a white background. The base is covered in thick red felt and features two paper labels. A rectangular label reads '$7.00'. A circular, faded label is centered on the felt, bearing the handwritten text: 'MICMAC [partially obscured] INDIAN RES. SCHOOL SHUBIE NOVA SCOTIA,' referring to the Shubenacadie Residential School.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 15d

Speaking with community members and antique shop owners allowed Roger to locate two pieces made at the Shubenacadie Residential School. The bowl and cat pictured here are examples of what Roger found.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 15d

A few years ago, Roger Lewis (Mi’kmaq Cultural Heritage Curator, now retired) discovered a photo of ceramics made at the Shubenacadie Residential School between 1940-1950. In the picture, young Mi’kmaw boys gather with beautiful ceramic vases.

Roger Lewis, in the field examining a petroglyph.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 18d

It offers a platform for Mi’kmaw people to express their continued experiences.

Open on September 30 the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation from 9:30 am to 8 pm with Free Admission.

An interactive station in the Ta’n Me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek gallery where visitors can re-create a petroglyph.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 18d

Ta’n me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek: How Unique We Still Are, now on view at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic reflects how Mi’kmaw people remain connected to the lands and waters of Mi’kma’ki.

Salina Kemp, Guest Curator stands at the entrance to the Ta’n Me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek gallery.

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 18d

Mi’kmaw people past & present are shaped by their deep & abiding relations to the place they sprouted from. The Mi’kmaq continue to sprout from this land, to be nourished by these waters, to defend their inherent rights to respect treaty relationships with others in this place.

Graphic for Ta’n me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek: How Unique We Still Are, now on view at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

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Reposted by Nova Scotia Museum

Tim Fedak PhD @timfedak.bsky.social · 19d

Found this 80,000 year old seed in #MastodonMud at the museum today. Will it sprout? @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social

A small tan colour seed floating in water

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Nova Scotia Museum @novascotiamuseum.bsky.social · 19d

Today is World Maritime Day. With over 13,000 kilometers of coastline, Nova Scotia is shaped by the sea. Take time to explore the stories of our seafaring past, present, and future. #NovaScotia

The boat shed at Fishermans life Museum.

The red Heritage buildings of the fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

A boat built by the Maritime Museum of the atlantic boat school sits in front of the CSS Acadia.

The yellow and green Dory sits by the wharf at the historic Acadian village of Nova Scotia.

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