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leggings, deerskin
leggings, deerskin
leggings, deerskin
A pair of deerskin leggings with flaps cut into triangular tabs, ornamented with quill wrapped thongs, red ochre, and blue glass beads. The materials and construction techniques suggest a Great Lakes origin. The highly unusual tapped cut of the flaps, similar to a pair attributed to the Iroquois in the National Museum of the American Indian suggests that they may be Haudenosaunee/Hodenosaunee. Formerly in the late 18th century Leverian Museum in London, they were purchased in 1922 by Louis Colville Gray Clarke for the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, from Arthur Holsworth of the Widdicombe House Collection.
Based on a similar pair of leggings, attributed to the Haudenosaunee/Hodenosaunee, at the National Museum of the American Indian (Catalogue number: 200897).
Museum documentation and the GRASAC research team.
Read More About This Relative
native tanned and lightly smoked deerskin; red-orange and white porcupine quills; red ochre; traces of black paint; blue glass beads; metal cones; red dyed deer hair and red yarn; thread.
These long fitted leggings have flaps cut into 9 and 8 triangular tabs. The edges of the tabs are cut into fine short fringe, and each element is wrapped with quills. The tabs alternate between red and white quill wrappings. In between the tabs are bunches of quill wrapped thongs ending in metal cones filled with yarn or deer hair. At the bottom edge of each legging is a line of red single quill stitch with a line of red ochre painted over it (or possibly under it). A double row of small medium blue faceted glass beads is sewn on one side of one legging, with a single black bead at one end. A single blue bead remains on the other side, but there are none on the other legging.
The triangular taps on the flaps of these leggings is very unusual. See, however, National Museum of the American Indian 200897, a pair of cloth and ribbon-applique leggings attributed to the Iroquois with flaps cut in an almost identical contour.
Based on the fact that the leggings were in the Leverian Museum in London, England in the late 18th century.
Provenance
Bought by Louis Colville Gray Clarke from Arthur Holdsworth of Widdicombe House. Bought in 1806 by Mr. Rowe at the Lottery sale of the Leverian collection from Parkinson.
See J.C.H. King, American Indian Art magazine article on northeastern items in the Leverian Museum.
About This GRASAC Record
Unknown Hodenosaunee/Haudenosaunee artist, leggings, deerskin. Currently in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 1922.982 A-B. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip May 2009; GRASAC item id 26635.
This record was created as part of a GRASAC research trip to Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, May 4-9 2009.
Researchers present: Trudy Nicks, Stacey Loyer, Ruth Phillips, and Rachel Hand.