dress

dress

dress

top image
Introduction

Chippewa women's dress made of black velveteen with cotton accents and many metal cones and disks made from cans, with print visible in both French and English. Collected by Bernard S. Mason ca. 1930-1945.

Nation of Origin

Chippewa

Date Made or Date Range: 1890s to 1920
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

NMAI records and physical examination by Cory Willmott and Ann McMullen, July 2007.

Materials

Black velveteen (black sateen, black rayon) [seems to be off the rack dress top, cut up], pale blue (faded) cotton twill, printed cotton, red cotton, black wool, metal cones (made of tin cans in two sizes, some with printing on inside indicating commercial source--seems to be same as red disks below), hide; disks cut from metal cans (red, with print, commercial, printed--one says "chocolate" and has recipe--in English and French) and plain galvanized metal.

Techniques or Format

Top is made of commercially made black dress cut off at waist; skirt is of two rectangular panels of black velveteen (the back of which show two darts that have been unstitched) with two rectangular panels of black sateen on sides. Short sleeves with cuffs of faded blue cotton twill; neckband of faded blue cotton twill. Waist has applied band of heavy wool fabric; skirt has three applied bands in this order from top down: blue twill, printed cotton, and red cotton. Waist-level band and top two skirt bands have applied metal disks (red and plain). Cuffs, neck, and applied cloth bands on waist and skirt have metal cones attached to front and back of dress. Cones on waist and bottom attached with hide; cones on middle skirt rows with cloth; cuffs and neck cones attached with cloth. Cones attached with hide are larger.

Motifs and Patterns

Jingle dress

Other Notes

CW, AMcM examination

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

NMAI records.

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 253455.000
Collection at Current Location: Holden Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1/1/1991
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: John L. Holden
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1930-1945
GKS Reference Number: 26623
Record Creation Notes/Observations

This record was created on site at NMAI by the GRASAC members listed below. Ann McMullen and Pat Nietfeld of NMAI supported the research onsite. Cory Willmott's research was funded by a grant from the American Philosophical Society. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provided Cory with an RA, Ceara Horsley, in Fall 2008 to work on GRASAC data entry. (CH)

Approximate Place of Origin

48.1116, -93.0916

Source of Information about Places

Minnesota