fabric, velveteen, black; fabric, cotton, off-white; binding tape, light purple & medium red; yarn, black, medium blue & seaweed; small tube beads, clear; large tube beads, transparent orange and transparent brown; seed beads, glass, opaque white, opaque black, red (2 shades of opaque dusty rose, transparent rose, opaque dark pink), yellow (transparent tawny, transparent medium yellow, opaque lemon), green (opaque light pear, transparent pine), blue (opaque periwinkle, opaque sky blue, opaque medium blue, transparent dark blue, opaque navy);

Hand sewn off-white cotton, Edged with red bias tape forms tabs at bottom left corner, Overlay stitched beadwork, Fringed with eleven loom woven beaded tabs and yarn tassels

Floral stem and leaf, Lanceolate leaf, Ragged leaf, 3- and 4-petalled flower, 'X'-motif.

"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.