belt pouch

belt pouch

belt pouch

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Introduction

This belt pouch is attributed to the Eastern Dakota Sioux and is datable to the early 19th century. This relative was collected by Charles Hallowell Stephens who purchased it on July 12th, 1906 from a person named Osborn, a Philadelphia dealer for $1.25. His whole collection was left to his son D. Owen Stephens, whose wife sold it to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1945, where is currently resides. 

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

David Penney attributes it to the Eastern Dakota Sioux on the basis of the colours of the quills (especially the blue) and motifs.

Date Made or Date Range: 1800s to 1820s
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

This information comes from the object's catalogue card and the GRASAC research team.

Materials

tanned hide; porcupine quills, white, dyed red, blue and black; metal tinkle cones; dyed red deer hair; leather thong; beige thread

Techniques or Format

The front is made of two pieces sewn together, while the back is a single piece. The middle third of the pouch's front contains a horizontal slot, with quillwork decorating the other two areas. Both ends are sewn to the back panel with leather thong, and are edged with a thong fringe, with the top part of each fringe wrapped with white quills; tinkle cones containing red-dyed deer hair have been added to one end. The long sides are edged with white quillwork.

Motifs and Patterns

Design field 1: a single white cross, or X
Design field 2: a row of undulating stripes: (black-white-red-white-black-blue) pattern.

Dimensions: 46.5 × 11.7 × 0 cm
Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 45-15-813 (Museum number); CG911125-2309 (Found in collection number)
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://www.penn.museum/collections/object/464587
Collection at Current Location: Charles H. Stephens Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1945
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Purchased from Mrs. Owen Stephens, 1945
Collection Narratives and Histories

This relative was collected by Charles Hallowell Stephens who purchased it on July 12th, 1906 from a person named Osborn, a Philadelphia dealer for $1.25. His whole collection was left to his son D. Owen Stephens, whose wife sold it to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1945, where is currently resides.

GKS Reference Number: 27222
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Belt pouch. GRASAC ID 27222. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 45-15-813.

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 August 6th, 2024.

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