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Brief description |
Loom-beaded bandolier bag, possibly Ojibwe or Potawatomi, Great Lakes region, late nineteenth century. |
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Object name |
Bandolier bag |
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Alternate object name |
Friendship bag; Shoulder bag |
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Date |
1870-1900 |
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Dimensions |
43 3/4"H x 12 1/8”W; Strap 6”W |
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Materials and techniques |
Loom-beaded panel and strap; Spot-stitched beadwork; Wool and cotton bag; Ribbon and braid trim |
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Current location |
Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin |
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Description |
Bandolier bag with loom-beaded panel and strap. Bag and strap are constructed of red wool and trimmed with red and green military braid. Pocket is lined with light brown printed cotton and opens the full width of the bag. A loom-beaded panel is attached to the front of the pocket. Panel design consists of a central pink, iridescent red, iridescent green, and green diamonds on a white background. Four iridescent red and iridescent yellow leaves form “X” motif. Black and blue leaves and flowers form cross motif. Yellow and blue circles outline the panel. Eight loom-beaded tabs extend from panel. Four multi-colored geometric designs mirror each other. Each tab has two yarn tassels. Border around panel and bag consist of off-white or green silk ribbon and white beadwork in diamond and elongated hexagonal pattern, also known as an “otter tail” motif. Strap has two loom-beaded strips attached to red wool layered with brown printed cotton. Each strip features a distinct design and color palette with stylized leaves and flowers on a white ground. Border around entire strap consists of pink and dark blue zigzag lines. Green beaded fringe with blue and red yarn tassels are attached to the end of each strip at the center top of the strap. |
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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.
Wisconsin Historical Society records indicate this bag was purchased in 1900. Records also identify it as Potawatomi in origin, but it displays characteristics more typical of Ojibwe bags: “X” motifs on each component; two piece strap with fringe at join; two designs on strap; and otter tail motif. The “X” and cross motifs may suggest cardinal directions as well as Ojibwe spiritual concepts. According to David Penney, the designs are “pictorial or diagrammatic metaphors of a larger, sacred universe;” the four quarters and asymmetrical design reconcile opposites, just as the cosmos creates balance and harmony. While design features are useful tools in identifying bandolier bag origins, bags often demonstrate cross-cultural and intertribal influences. Bags were also frequently used as trade and gift items, which further complicates attempts to trace their history. |
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Sources |
David Penney, “Chippewa Beaded Shoulder Bags,” Bags of Friendship: Bandolier Bags of the Great Lakes Indians (Morning Star Gallery, 1996); 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; Andrew Hunter Whiteford, “The Origins of Great Lakes Beaded Bandolier Bags,” American Indian Art Magazine 11:3 (Summer 1986): 32-43. Information compiled by Maggie Ordon, Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database intern, 2008. |
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Owner |
Wisconsin Historical Museum |
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Object # |
1954.1402 |
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Rights |
© 2008 by the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Contact the owner for more information. http://wisconsinhistory.org/museum/collections/anthro.asp |
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Digital collection |
Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database |
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Digital identifier |
WHS136 |
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Digital format |
image/jpeg |
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Type |
Physical object |
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Keywords |
Textiles; Bandolier bag; Bag (costume accessory); Costume (mode of fashion); Furnishings and equipment; Personal Gear; Beadwork |
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Date digitized |
2008-08-04 |
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Date modified |
2010-11-29 |
