Inuit or hippie leather pouch?

[marcylove]

Here is a leather pouch that my hubby says his dad had as long as he was growing up. (40+ years).  It is closed by a pin, and has a design stamped into it that reminds me of Inuit totems, but of course may not be anything close to that.

I'm sure it may just be a 60's 70's hippie pouch or something , but would love to find out different!  (ALL the kids are fighting for this one!  May have to break out into rock, paper, scisssors!) ...sigh

[waywardangler]

Peace and love.  Put some flowers in that there.  Looks like commercially tanned leather and it is machine stitched.  40 years would put it right at the heyday of Haight-Ashbury.  Could be an inuit hippie pouch for wacky tobacky but more likely for a flower child's stash.  Metal rings on the straps and that strange metal pin for the leather hinge look modern to me.  Now if it actually made the trip to Woodstock, that would be interesting.

[sapphire]

marcy, can you show some shots of the top opening and with how the pin actually 'works' ?  I'd have to say West coast First Nations artwork on that.  (Just spent vac. time out there and visited the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.....never realized how many tribes actually existed just in BC and extending into Wash. state)

It's definitely machine stitched, so likely made for market but not really a 'touristy' item.I believe that is the imprint of the eagle. I would definitely hang on to it and possibly send some good shots to this museum as they have an incredible collection of First Nations artifacts and works.

Just going by the appearance I'd guess Haida or more likely Kwakwaka'wakw.
Here is a shot of a plaque by a current Kwakwaka'wakw artist, along with a pdf file showing the West coast tribes locale.

http://www.moa.ubc.ca/pdf/First_Nations_map.pdf

[waywardangler]

I am going to disagree with sapphire on the origin of this design/pouch.  I looked in my book "Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast" by Stewart and there are far too many common design elements (namely the ovoid form) missing from the eagle and sun symbol to be Northwest.  The sun in particular appears to be more Mexican/Aztec to me along with all the other u's, circles, and non-ovoid elements of this symbol.  The eagle's beak with tongue look Northwest but not the eye or circles in the beak.
An Aztec Mexican medal showing their sun follows.  I think this pouch was made in Mexico for the tourist trade in the 60s.
On this site http://www.zazzle.com/aztec+art+designs+mousepads you can purchase this almost exact design (reverse) on a mousepad and is listed as the Tribal Sun Eagle (Aztec).

[sapphire]

Great info wayward.....that's why multiple feedback is so important. My trip was so recent and the first 'big' exposure to their artifacts it was first and foremost in my mind. Glad you caught that and came in with the right answer

[waywardangler]

I agree, sapphire, and I love Northwest art design. I am also impressed by all the knowledge that you and others contribute because of the vast amount of information everyone possesses gained throughout their lives.  That is what makes this forum so-o-o-o interesting and informative.

 I took an Alaskan cruise this past summer and visited Saxman village in Ketchikan because of the totems.  Something with that design on the pouch just did not strike me as being Northwest but couldn't quite place it until this morning.  Oh, I was around during the hippie days, in college and a fringe hippie but I did not have a pouch for a stash or a stash.

[KC]

Good thread!

Have to agree a piece for the tourist trade. 

Still nice!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Have to say that it reminds me of the logo for the San Diego State, Aztecs too. Maybe an old handmade college keepsake?