bag, beaded

bag, beaded

bag, beaded

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Introduction

This relative is a Hodenosaunee beaded handbag with a silk ribbon handle, with flower basket and bird motifs. It was probably made in the late nineteenth century. Through an exchange with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it was acquired by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1941 where it currently resides.

Name of Maker(s): Unrecorded
Maker role: Artist
Nation of Maker: Hodenosaunee/Haudenosaunee
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

This attribution is based on the bag's style.

Date Made or Date Range: 1880s to 1941
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

The information in this record is based on museum documentation.

Materials

red velvet; cotton; cardboard; cream-coloured and golden silk ribbon; clear glass beads; smoky grey tubular beads; beige thread.

Techniques or Format

Made from red velvet and lined cotton and cardboard. Edged in cream-coloured silk ribbon. Decorated with raised beadwork, beading along the edges and a looped beaded fringe along the bottom. A strap of golden silk ribbon is attached to the top, as a strap.

Motifs and Patterns

The beading depicts flowers, basket, and birds.

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: 13.7 × 17.5 × 0 cm
Condition: Fair. The silk ribbon handle has broken and parts of the beaded fringe are no longer intact.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

This bag resembles those made for the tourist trade. It was acquired by the museum in 1941.

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 41-24-17
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/43231
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1941
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Exchange with Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1941
Collection Narratives and Histories

This relative was acquired by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1941, through an exchange with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

GKS Reference Number: 26681
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Bag, beaded. GRASAC ID 26681. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 41-24-17.

Record Creation Context

GRASAC study visit, participants: David Penney, Ruth Phillips, Stacey Loyer, William Wierzbowski, December 3, 2009.
This record was augmented by Joy Kruse on July 17, 2024.

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