Tuscarora Pin Cushion

Tuscarora Pin Cushion

Tuscarora Pin Cushion

top image
Images
Introduction

This object is a Victorian style pin cushion shaped like a boot. It is heavily beaded in the embossed style. A majority of the beads are clear with some multi-colored beads included in the design, particularly in the hanging loops.

Nation of Maker: Tuscarora
Nation of Origin

The Tuscarora reservation is located in the Niagara Falls area and similar objects are all attributed to this specific tribe.

Date Made or Date Range: approx. 1900
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Pomona College Museum Collection

Materials

fabric: oil cloth, cotton. glass beads.

Techniques or Format

Handbeaded with lazy stitch in the embossed style. Front piece of fabric is green dyed cotton and is attached to the back piece of red oil cloth with seams around the edges that are beaded over. Loops of large, angular beads hang off the bottom and four loops are also attached to the top left floral shape. A loop made of clear glass beads is attached to the top of the pin cushion implying that it may be hung as a wall pocket.

Motifs and Patterns

Floral imagery. The pin cushion is in the shape of a woman's Victorian boot.

Additional Context

The floral motif and the boot shape show that the Tuscarora makers of this object were catering to the Victorian fashion and European influences of the time period.

Original and Subsequent Uses

Souvenir item. Collected item aquired by Jonathan Tibbet.

Dimensions: 0 × 0 × 0 mm
Condition: Good, some signs of use on the back of the object.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Similar objects were being created at the turn of the 20th century.

Current Location: Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: P5330
Link to Institution's Collections Database: luna.pomona.edu
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1900-1930
GKS Reference Number: 1439
Approximate Place of Origin

46.869279102, -71.347896113

Source of Information about Places

Similar items all come from the touristic convergence at the Niagara Falls area.

Do You Have Knowledge to Contribute? Share with Us.