Materials

wampum beads, white and purple; cotton, commercially-made; tanned hide

Techniques or Format

The belt is five rows wide, made of mostly white beads, with a commercially-made cotton weft and a tanned hide warp. CW noticed an unusual interlocking weaving technique on the belt's edge, atypical of wampum belts, which indicates the belt was not loom-woven, but rather sewn on one bead at a time. The GRASAC research team notes that this belt's warps are unusually wide -- no one has seen similarly wide warps on other belts.

Motifs and Patterns

LP noticed what appear to be remnants of a single figure in the middle. It looks as if it might have been diamond-shaped. JM noted that the diamond motif is found on other belts, often between motifs, but also by itself.

Additional Context

RP said the diamond motif is often explained as representing the hearth, nation or council fire.

Dimensions: 65 × 5.3 × 0 cm

Condition: Aside from fairly extensive bead loss in the belt's centre it is in good condition. There is some ripping of the hide and staining around the rips, which could be the result of corrosion from pins used to mount the belt. HB suggested the bead loss could have resulted from folding the belt.

Current Location: Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 1952.5.08

Collection at Current Location: Shirley Collection

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1966

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Colonel Shirley via Major Shirley

Collection Narratives and Histories

This item is part of a collection loaned to the Pitt Rivers Museum in 1952 and purchased from William Shirley's son, Major Shirley, in January 1966. The Pitt Rivers Object Catalogue suggests there is a possibility this belt was formerly owned by James Bisset and acquired by Colonel Shirley through the Leamington Museum.

Publication History

Mowat, Linda. "Painted Coats for a Coronation? (Research Notes)," Journal of Museum Ethnography 8 (1996): 109-110.

GKS Reference Number: 24473

Record Creation Context

This record was created as part of a Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) research trip to the Pitt Rivers Museum and British Museum, December 8-22 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunities fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Record Creation Notes/Observations

researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Laura Peers (LP), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).