United States (not certain) / Canada (not certain), North America
Accession Date:
18 Sep 1934
Notes:
From card: "Made of woven buffalo hair, the outer edge dark brown; in between, reddish brown with two oblique bands of brownish yellow; early form of cylindrical white beads woven into the fabric; the upper, tapering edge wrapped with (porcupine) quills in red, black, and natural color; each fringe at opposite end wrapped with quills and with conical metal ornaments at ends (only four of these left). The object is a garter consisting of spun or twisted hair of the American buffalo (Bison americanus) dyed and woven on a belt loom and ornamented with opaque white "pony-trader" beads. it is similar to an old Sauk and Fox beaded garter described by M.R. Harrington in "Indian Notes and Monographs", Vol. X, No. 4, Museum of the American Indian, New York. However, writers during the eighteenth century refer to the practice of so using buffalo hair as widespread. The beads are not attached to the surface but were strung on cords before the garter was woven and the fringed ends of the garter are wrapped with split and dyed porcupine quill. Doctor Hough's statement that such belt weaving was wide spread over the East and extended to the Northern Plains is verified observations of early writers from the Atlantic Seaboard to the Rocky Mountains. The garter cannot well be identified as to tribe. The story told of its early associations might well be authentic. The garter is a museum piece and should be carefully preserved due to its rarity, as there are very few examples of this weaving technique extant. (Copy of Mr. Krieger's report of May 18, 1934 on this garter). Loan: Denver Museum 3/15/65, returned 10/6/65."
Identified by Deborah Harding 7-12-2007 as Northeast Indian? style fingerwoven garter drop.
