Bandolier bag: panel |
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Object Description
| Brief description | Spot-stitched beaded bandolier bag, Ojibwe, Great Lakes region, late nineteenth or early twentieth century. |
| Object name | Bandolier bag |
| Alternate object name | Friendship bag; Shoulder bag |
| Date | 1870-1910 |
| Dimensions |
Bag = 28 1/2"H x 17 5/8”W Strap = 46 3/4"H x 6 1/2"W |
| Materials and techniques | Spot-stitched beadwork; Wool and cotton bag and strap; Bead and yarn tassels |
| Current location | Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin |
| Description | Bandolier bag with spot-stitched beaded panel and strap. Bag and strap are not attached. There is no actual pocket in this bag. Spot-stitched beadwork on off-white cotton covers the entire front surface of the bag, which is made of black wool. Symmetrical floral design consists of two black vines with various leaves and flowers that join at a large pink flower on the top and a small flower on the bottom. Colors are relatively naturalistic--blues, purples, reds, pinks, yellows, and greens--and are arranged to achieve dramatic outlines and shading. The background consists of horizontal rows of spot-stitched translucent pearl beads. Black velveteen with columns of white diamonds frames the entire bag. Faded purple silk ribbon edges the bag. Thirty-three blue and red yarn tassels hang from brown, orange, and green beaded strands. Strap is constructed of dark brown printed cotton with light brown fabric trim. Strap has one piece of muslin with two designs of densely spot-stitched beadwork. Both designs consist of small flowers and leaves branching off of a central black vine. Colors and shapes vary slightly from each other, but complement those used in the bag’s panel. |
| History |
Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, American Indians of the Great Lakes region used beads and cloth acquired through trade with Anglo Americans to create a new form--the bandolier bag. Made by women but typically worn by men as part of their ceremonial dress, these vividly colored and elaborately beaded bags were symbols of both personal status and tribal identity. The absence of a pocket confirms that this object was a sign of prestige, rather than a functional container. Wisconsin Historical Society records identify this bag as Ojibwe in origin. According to the donor, this bag was given to Jean Ashford when she was about eight years old by a friend of the family who was a former United States Army scout. The bag’s history demonstrates that bandolier bags were often used as items of trade or gifts of friendship, establishing relationships with other tribes and Anglo officials. Because of this practice, bandolier bags are commonly referred to as “friendship bags.” |
| Sources | Beverly Gordon, “The Great Lakes Indian Bandolier Bag: Cultural Persistence and Elaboration,” Dress 19 (1992): 69- 81; Marcia Anderson and Kathy Hussey-Arnston, “Ojibwe Bandolier Bags in the Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society,” American Indian Art Magazine 11:4 (Autumn 1986): 46-57. For a discussion of how Native American women transformed missionary-taught floral designs into their own stylized beadwork, see David W. Penney, “Floral Decoration and Culture Change: An Historical Interpretation of Motivation,” American Indian Culture and Research Journal 15:1 (1991): 53-77. Information compiled by Maggie Ordon, Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database intern, 2008. |
| Owner | Wisconsin Historical Museum |
| Object # | 1999.128.1A-B |
| Rights | © 2008 by the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Contact the owner for more information. http://wisconsinhistory.org/museum/collections/an |
| Digital collection | Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database |
| Digital identifier | WHS154 |
| Digital format | XML |
| Type | Physical object |
| Keywords | Textiles; Bandolier bag; Bag (costume accessory); Costume (mode of fashion); Furnishings and equipment; Personal Gear; Beadwork |
| Date digitized | 2008-08-04 |
| Date modified | 2010-11-29 |
Description
| Object name | Bandolier bag: panel |
| Dimensions | 28 1/2"H x 17 5/8"W |
| Object # | 1999.128.1A |
| Rights | © 2008 by the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Contact the owner for more information. http://wisconsinhistory.org/museum/collections/anthro.asp |
| Digital collection | Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database |
| Digital identifier | WHS154a |
| Digital format | image/jpeg |
| Type | Physical object |
| Date digitized | 2008-08-04 |
| Date modified | 2010-11-29 |
