chatelaine bag

chatelaine bag

chatelaine bag

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Introduction

This Hodenosaunee beaded bag is made in the chatelaine style. This relative entered the collection of Charles H. Stephens on January 4th, 1929 as a gift from H.J. Lindsey of Media (Chester County, PA). After his death, Stephens' collection was left to his son D. Owen Stephens, whose wife, Mrs. Owen Stephens, sold it to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1945 where it currently resides. 

Name of Maker(s): Unrecorded
Maker role: Artist
Nation of Maker: Hodenosaunee/Haudenosaunee
Nation of Origin

The Hodenosaunee attribution is based on style of the bag.

Date Made or Date Range: 1840-1870
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Museum and collector documentation.

Materials

black velvet; red cotton tape; woven cotton edging; natural cotton; printed satin tape; brown metallic rick rack; size 10 or 11 glass beads in white, blue, red, mustard and clear; beige thread.

Techniques or Format

Made of two pieces, sewn together, with flaps on both sides. There is a small pocket under one flap. The bag's sides and the opening of the small pocket are edged in red cotton tape. The top of the bag is edged with printed satin ribbon or fabric, slightly ruffled. Both sides of the bag, as well as the flaps, are decorated with appliqued beadwork. The beadwork on the bottom design fields on both sides of the bag are framed by a line of woven cord, a line of rick rack, and another line of woven cord. Single bead picot edging decorates the sides of the flaps.

Motifs and Patterns

The bag is decorate with floral motifs.

Original and Subsequent Uses

This type of beaded Chatelaine bag was often made by the Hodenosaunee to sell to Victorian tourists in the Niagara region. Chatelaine refers to a formal waist bag popular among 19th century women.

Dimensions: 17 × 15.8 × 0 cm
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

The date attribution is based on stylistic features and museum documentation.

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 45-15-810
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/191668
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1945
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Collection of Charles H. Stevens; Gift of Mrs. Owen Stephens
Collection Narratives and Histories

This relative entered the collection of Charles H. Stephens on January 4th, 1929 as a gift from H.J. Lindsey of Media (Chester County, PA). After his death, Stephens' collection was left to his son D. Owen Stephens, whose wife, Mrs. Owen Stephens, sold it to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1945 where it currently resides.
An accompanying letter written in 1917 states that the bag was given to Hannah Larkin 150 years earlier. However, on the catalogue card written by Charles H. Stephens, he states, "Could be 50 or 60 years old, but not 150 years as enclosed letter states" (Jan. 4th, 1929).

Publication History

Williams, Lucy F. Guide to the North American Ethnographic Collection at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2003. See: p. 86, pl. 104

GKS Reference Number: 78
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Chatelaine bag. GRASAC ID 78. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 45-15-810.

Record Creation Context

GRASAC research visit by David Penney, Ruth Phillips, Stacey Loyer, William Wierzbowski, December 3, 2009
This record was augmented by Joy Kruse on July 5th, 2024.

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