skirt, woman's

skirt, woman's

skirt, woman's

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Introduction

A Mesquakie woman's wrap around skirt of red cotton ornamented with appliqued panels of lazy stitch floral and loomed geometric beadwork. Collected by Mary Alicia Owen near Tama, Iowa, in the late 19th century. Acquired by Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1976.

Nation of Maker: Other
Nation of Origin

The Mesquakie are Great Lakes people who settled in the Plains, having moved to Iowa during the 1850s

Place of Origin: Meskwaki Nation Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa
Date Made or Date Range: 1870 to 1900
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Museum documentation and the GRASAC research team

Materials

red cotton; black worsted woolen fabric; yellow silk ribbon; glass beads in opaque white, green, orange/yellow, red, blue, pink, forest green; thread; black silk ribbon; red silk ribbon.

Techniques or Format

A rectangular piece of red cotton with pieces of black worsted wool fabric sewn on to it, which have been decorated with appliqued beadwork. The larger piece of black wool fabric is edged with yellow ribbon.

Other Notes

The beaded panels may have been made earlier and re-used on the skirt.

Condition: Very good. There is evidence of some wear on the black wool and a few missing beads.
Current Location: Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, UK
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: D 1976.149
Collection at Current Location: Owen Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1976
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Mary Alicia Owen
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1850-1900
Collection Narratives and Histories

Collected by Mary Alicia Owen near Tama, Iowa in the late 19th century. Acquired by Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1976.

GKS Reference Number: 27106
How to Cite this Item

Unknown Mesquakie artist, skirt, woman’s. Currently in the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, D 1976.179. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip May 2009; GRASAC item id 27106.

Record Creation Context

This record was created as part of a GRASAC research trip to Cambridge University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, May 4-9 2009.

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Participants: Trudy Nicks, Stacey Loyer, Ruth Phillips and Rachel Hand.

Approximate Place of Origin

41.99024, -92.6533

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