Also referred to as “fire bags,” Octopus bags derive their name from the eight drops that extend below the pocketed square top. The construction of these bags is believed to go back to the late 1500s and were used for carrying pipes, tinder, tobacco, and powder shot.
Octopus Bag
Unknown
Possibly Subarctic, Cree
circa 1860
Wool cloth, glass beads, cotton
1991.01.1481
On View
