Birch-bark box

The container is square in shape, but has rounded edges. The box has a lid that is attached with a leather strap. The box is made of a sewn sheet of birch bark, and a narrow wooden hoop is attached to the edges to reinforce them. The box is decorated all over with ornamental patterns made by scratching. There are reindeer antlers or birch branches on the lid, and a jay brood and “swan’s nut” pattern on the sides.

The exact place where this item was made and used is not known. The pattern on the cover resembles the Mansi ornaments on the bottom of item SU4810:78 and on the lid of item SU5756:29. On the other hand, the “swan’s nut” pattern on the side of the container appears in several birch-bark decorations of the Khanty people, such as items SU3904:91, SU3904:90 and SU6155:114.