E0336: Beaded Belt

Ethnographic

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Identifier:

E0336

Classification Category:

3:Personal Artifacts ➞ Clothing ➞ Accessory

Marks/Labels:

sticky residue from previous sticker label on the cloth backing - underneath current label.

Materials:

fabric ➔ cloth ➔ cotton ➔ linen
glass ➔ bead
fabric ➔ cloth

Dimensions:

85 cm L
12 cm W
0.5 cm H

Provenance of Object:

This object was held in the museum that Luther College started in 1877. This museum eventually grew into the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, and following this, non-Norwegian American ethnographic objects were returned to Luther and accessioned into the college’s Anthropology Collection. This item is from the Great Lakes region, but does not have any distinguishing patterns or characteristics to identify it to tribe.

Production Date:

1880-1910 based on fabric backing

Use/Function:

Belt; worn fastened around waist

Source Locality:

USA, Great Lakes Region

Description:

Wide rectangular belt with a completely beaded band. The inside lining is mauve cotton with alternating horizontal stripes of lines of dots in a zigzag and leaf-like pattern. There is a layer of khaki cotton under the beads, and brown binding on all four sides. The beading features a floral design with stems, leaves, various flowers, seed pods, and a cornucopia, with a background of white beads. In the center, red beads spell out "S(backwards)AMKEEN."

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