wampum belt

wampum belt

wampum belt

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Introduction

Wampum belt, possibly a fragment, or a wampum cuff. Northeastern Woodlands, made between 1600 and 1860. Part of a larger collection donated to the British Museum by the English ethnologist Henry Christy, between 1860 and 1869.

Date Made or Date Range: 17 C to Mid 19 C
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Created with information from the British Museum accession record and observations made by the GRASAC research team.

Materials

Made of animal skin thong warps, vegetable twine wefts, and white and purple shell wampum.

Techniques or Format

Bow-loom woven, with 13 warp threads and 12 rows. The wampum beads are made of shell and drilled. One one end, some of the loose warps are tied together.

Motifs and Patterns

A purple diagonal stepped line, made of four steps of six beads each, runs across the white ground-- a white line runs through the purple stepped design, one bead wide.

Additional Context

BM suggested the design might represent thorns along a path. AC said the item could be a cuff.

Dimensions: 7.5 × 9 × 0 cm
Condition: Poor: one bead row is missing 3 beads.
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

British Museum accession record.

Current Location: British Museum, London, UK
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: Am.2768
Collection at Current Location: Christy Collection
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1860s
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Henry Christy
Collection Narratives and Histories

This item is part of a larger collection donated to the British Museum by the English ethnologist Henry Christy between 1860-1869.

Exhibition History

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).

Publication History

Researchers present: Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Alan Corbiere (AC), Henrietta Lidchi (HL), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).

GKS Reference Number: 24749
How to Cite this Item

Unknown artist, wampum belt. Currently in the British Museum, Am.2768. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 24749.

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

Heidi Bohaker (HB), John Borrows (JB), Lindsay Borrows (LB), Alan Corbiere (AC), Darlene Johnston (DJ), Henrietta Lidchi (HL), Stacey Loyer (SL), Janis Monture (JM), Bruce Morito (BM), Ruth Phillips (RP), Anne De Stecher (AS), Cory Willmott (CW).

Approximate Place of Origin

45.6426, -85.036

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