Materials

Glass beads Fabric, Yarn, and Thread.

Techniques or Format

A loom made the beaded belt. Weaved fabric hold together the woollen tassels.

Motifs and Patterns

Wavy lines, crosses, hourglass shapes, continuous straight line.

Additional Context

The wavy lines represent water or mountains for Indigenous people. The crosses represent the four elements or the four directions. The hourglass is a representation of people. Or teepees for family. The continuous straight line is the path of life. (Interpreted Sheila Wheesk)

Original and Subsequent Uses

Used as a belt or sash. Displayed at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, as culture material. (38-44-10/12735)

Dimensions: 127.3 × 8.2 × 0.4 cm

Condition: A few beads are loose and the thread is showing. Fair condition.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Peabody Museum's database.

Current Location: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge, MA, USA

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 27-17-10/98249

Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://pmem.unix.fas.harvard.edu:8443/peabody/

Collection at Current Location: Peabody Museum Collection online. Ethnographic

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1927

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: President and Fellows of Harvard College placed the belt in the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 19th century to 20th century

Previous Collectors: Owner: Chief-of-the-Five-Tribes Coatash

Collection Narratives and Histories

Chief-of-the-Five-Tribes Coatash first owned the beaded belt, then William C. Johnson owned it. Johnson donated the belt in 1927 to the President and Fellows of Harvard College, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology.

Source for Provenance information

Peabody Museum's database.

Exhibition History

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology classify the object as: Beaded belt or sash for bandolier bag.

GKS Reference Number: 58968