Materials

Made with brown and black woolen yarn, decorated with small white beads.

Techniques or Format

Finger woven, with interwoven beadwork. It shows signs of mending. Unlike most belts of this sort, its fringe is not decorated with porcupine quill wrapping.

Motifs and Patterns

Three parallel rows of linked diamonds with a zig zag line on each edge. The diamond shapes end in two "horns."

Additional Context

A member of the GRASAC research team asked if the "horns" at the ends might be associated with underwater beings.

Other Notes

It is very long - could have been wrapped around a wearer's waist twice.

Condition: Poor condition. One end has lost its fringe. Signs of mending suggest it was reparied while still in use.

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

Based upon known periods of British presence in the Great Lakes region and stylistic characteristics of the belt, it was likely made between 1750 and 1815.

Current Location: British Museum, London, UK

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: Am,+.6990

Collection at Current Location: Christy Collection

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks

Collection Narratives and Histories

Part of the Christy Collection, in 1893 this belt was donated to the British Museum by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks. The British Museum object catalogue says it was collected by both Pickering and Captain Harding.

GKS Reference Number: 25387

How to Cite this Item

Unknown artist, belt. Currently in the British Museum, Am,+.6990 . Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 25387.

Record Creation Context

This record was created as part of a Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) research trip to the Pitt Rivers Museum and British Museum, December 8-22 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunities fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Alan Corbiere (AC), Henrietta Lidchi (HL), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).