Fabric, velveteen, black; Fabric, cotton?, undyed; Bias tape, cotton?, medium red & medium blue; Yarn, medium red & medium blue; Beads, seed, white (opaque), black (opaque), brown (transparent tawny), red (opaque light-mahogany, transparent medium red), yellow (opaque tan, opaque canary, opaque lemon), green (opaque medium green, opaque pear, transparent dark green), blue (4 opaque shades from light to navy).

Hand sewn; loom-woven beadwork; commercial cloth.

Stylized floral; Diamonds; Parallelograms; Squares; 8-pointed star; Leaves?; Butterflies?

"Bandolier bags most likely originated in the Upper Great Lakes region during the 1840s and 1850s. Fashioned exclusively from European materials and adorned with thousands of beads, bandolier bags were primarily for show, as a symbol of identity, wealth and status. Although initially functional, by the late 19th and early 20th centuries many of the bags had false pockets or none at all. Sometimes called "friendship bags", they were often created as gifts to strengthen relationships within communities or between nations. By the 1870s they had become an important element of formal dress worn mainly at ceremonies and celebrations by men, and occasionally by women. They wore them - singly or several at a time - crossed over the torso or draped around the neck. The wearing of more than one bag was generally the prerogative of a leader or a person of high honour." (McCord, 2013)

McCord Museum. Wearing Our Identity. Montreal: The McCord Museum, 2013. Print.

McCord Museum. Wearing Our Identity. Montreal: The McCord Museum, 2013. Print.

Manitoba Museum

Content from the Manitoba Museum's catalog records. Uploaded by Orvis Starkweather as part of their summer internship.