B. 1972 Arviat Mary Tutsiutok was born and raised in Arviat. She learned to carve by watching her mother Alice Sakitnak Akammak, and mother-in-law, Lucy (Tasseor) Tutsuitok. Mary carves by hand, without the use of power tools.

Rainmaker Gallery is honoured to represent many important Native American Indian and First Nations artists from across The USA and Canada.

A Breathtaking Example of Wearable Native American Beadwork, at the Link!

B. 1972 Arviat Mary Tutsiutok was born and raised in Arviat. She learned to carve by watching her mother Alice Sakitnak Akammak, and mother-in-law, Lucy (Tasseor) Tutsuitok. Mary carves by hand, without the use of power tools.

When such a metaphysical spirit permeates everything, all society cannot but grow in quality and excellence. The lawyer presents a magnificent legal brief or a cobbler searches for a marvelous shoe for the sake of the beauty of their actions. The artist—so sensitive to such an outlook—produces his masterpiece and dies content even though he […]

The Wabanaki are the “People of the Dawn” or the “Dawn Land People,” the name they called themselves. Traditionally, subsistence for the Wabanaki was based on hunting and gathering. After European settlement and the eighteenth-century wars between the French and English, they were forced to settle on reservations. The rapid growth of non-Indian settlements during the early nineteenth century also placed substantial pressure on the Wabanaki. This compelled Native communities to devise a new survival strategy. Making wood splint baskets is perhaps the oldest native craft produced by the tribes in this region and images of the Wabanaki and their baskets appear in paintings and prints from as far back as the eighteenth century. Willoughby reports that the earliest explorers and settlers of New England make no mention of splint baskets among the native population, though at least eight other varieties are mentioned (Willoughby 1905:85). Ruth Holmes Whitehead writes that Splint baskets, too, are apparently a European introduction, first taken up as a commercial product in the late eighteenth century… [Furthermore] there are no surviving precontact basket fragments in wood splints, and they are not mentioned in any seventeenth-century source (Whitehead 2001: 292-293). The depletion of game on the reservations became a turning point as the men had to find other means of providing for their families. By the nineteenth century, some had become lumberjacks and worked on the big river drives. Others hired themselves out as guides and untold numbers worked in the lumber mills or in shoe factories. Since the seventeenth century, the sale of small, decorative items had been a limited source of revenue for Indian women but as interaction with European settlers increased, they developed a new line of native arts and crafts that became a significant source of income for many Indian households. Baskets comprised the greatest percentage of this trade (figure 1). Figure 1 – Real Photo Post Card (RPPC) of Mi’kmaq chief Noel and his wife. Between them is a display of their baskets. 3.5 inches high by 5.5 inches wide. Circa 1910. Some Wabanaki became quite nomadic in their pursuit of a living from their crafts while others used Indian middlemen to sell their work. As early as 1827, it was reported that a group of Passamaquoddy’s were camped at the Battery in New York City selling their “domestic manufactures” (Source: American Advocate, July 21, 1827). In 1833, John W. Johnson, a three year old white settler’s child from Hollis, Maine, was kidnapped by a family of Mi’kmaq. He quickly adopted their lifestyle and spent most of his life among the Wabanaki. In 1861, he published an account of his life as an Indian. His narrative attests to the itinerant life style of many members of the culture he came to embrace (Johnson 1861). In the winter of 1840 Johnson travelled to Prince Edward Island with his Mi’kmaq family to sell baskets and fancy articles to sailors who docked in the seaside ports. In the summer of 1846 he was on Cape Breton Island for the winter making baskets and fancy boxes decorated with porcupine quills, which his family sold from $1 to $15 each, depending on how elaborately decorated they were. In March of the following year, he managed to obtain passage on a steamer to Boston where he took up residence in a boarding house. On some days he would set up his display of baskets on the Boston Common and offered his wares to anyone who was interested. At other times he sold them by going from house to house. From Boston he travelled to New Bedford and Fall River, Massachusetts then to Providence, Rhode Island, and eventually to New York, where he disposed of the balance of his stock. And so went his life. When he ran out of inventory he would catch a steamer back to Halifax where he acquired more fancy work from his brethren to sell in the markets he had developed along the east coast. In 1848, he met an Old Town, Maine, Penobscot by the name of Frank Loring or “Big Frank,” aka “Big Thunder” as he was customarily known (figure 2). Loring acted as an agent for a travelling company of Indian entertainers. When John Johnson was in Old Town, he procured some Indian outfits and proceeded to New York where he traveled about for a time with Big Frank, performing in his Indian theatrical group. Figure 2 – Printed Post Card of Frank Loring, aka “Big Frank” or “Big Thunder,” a Penobscot chief and showman. 5.5 inches high by 3.5 inches wide. Circa 1912. Old Town, Maine. Perhaps in response to the nineteenth-century timber industry, which brought about a deferential change in the traditional lifestyle of the Penobscot, many Wabanaki were unwilling or unable to settle down as farmers or work in the lumber mills. So a transient lifestyle as entertainers or as artisans, making and selling baskets and other wood derived crafts became a viable alternative. Resort areas in Vermont and New Hampshire were frequent destinations for these Algonquian speakers seeking outlets for their baskets and other souvenir items. The Passamaquoddy and Penobscot from Maine frequently travelled to resort destinations to sell their work (figure 3). In this circa 1870 stereoview by C. A. Paul of Skowhegan, Maine, a group of Indians can be seen camped at the foot of Mt. Kineo, on Moosehead Lake. The image is rich with examples of early fancy baskets, birch bark canoe models and several bark containers. Figure 3 – One panel from a stereo view depicting a group of Wabanaki basket makers camped at the foot of Mt. Kineo, on Moosehead Lake, Piscataquis County, Maine. Photographer: C.A. Paul of Skowhegan, Maine. Numerous baskets, model canoes, bark containers and other souvenir items can be seen in the image Other groups of Abenaki were selling their baskets throughout the resort areas in the White Mountains and in Vermont (figure 4). By the end of the nineteenth century, A few families among the Abenakis of St. Francis still hunted at this time, though game was becoming increasingly scarce. Their principal industry was basket-making and fancy work. They worked at handicrafts all winter and in June most of the families went to sell their wares at various summer resorts in the United States, especially along the Atlantic coast and in the White Mountains (figure 5). Around the turn of the century they lost the long standing privilege of carrying their wares to the United States duty-free and this removed their most profitable market. Around the same time the establishment of a National Park in their area brought about restrictions of hunting and fishing and the Indians had to turn more attention to agriculture (Department of Indian Affairs 1967:20). Figure 4 – Two printed post cards of a group of Abenakis selling their handicrafts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 3.5 inches high by 5.5 inches wide. Circa 1910. Figure 5 – Carte-de-Visite titled: Indian Camp at Franconia (New Hampshire). 4 inches high by 2.5 inches wide. Circa 1860s. Possibly a group of Abenakis. Numerous baskets can be seen on the table. It’s unclear if the western Abenaki were involved in making and selling souvenir beadwork during the nineteenth century such as bags, hats and what are generally referred to as whimsies. Baskets, birch bark canoe models, bark containers and other wood derived items appear to have been the mainstay of their commoditized crafts. In a rare handbill, pasted to the inside cover of a book on the Abenaki and English language, is an advertisement for the handicrafts that the Abenaki had for sale in the summer of 1893 (figure 6). Figure 6 – A rare handbill advertising hand-made Abenaki Indian wares in Intervale, New Hampshire. 6 inches high by 4 inches wide. Circa 1893. Their eastern relatives in Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia did produce beadwork for the souvenir trade as well as for personal use. The beadwork the Wabanaki made for themselves varied over time. [They] gave their textiles and costumes, in particular, more exuberant ornamentation than other Northeastern groups. It would have distinguished them at formal gathering. For example, Micmacs used a particular T-shaped element; Maliseet double curves often had tightly coiled terminals; Penobscot examples often included a stepped design; and both Penobscot and Passamaquoddy beadwork sometimes used a motif of contiguous lozenges possibly derived from the Ottawa… These ethnic markers would be readily identifiable to the members of many tribes who attended diplomatic gatherings … or the grand council fire (Bourque and Labar 2009:82-83). Figure 7 – Beaded Bags, Wabanaki type, vase or inverted keyhole shape. Glass beads, black velvet fabric, various materials used for the edge binding. The bag in the center is 6.2 inches high by 5.2 inches wide. Wabanaki commoditized beadwork had features that varied from those seen on Iroquois work. Beaded bags for instance, were often in the shape of a vase or an inverted keyhole (figure 7), though there are variations to this (figure 8a and 8b). The flowers and leaf patterns on the vase shaped bags are stylistically distinctive. Many of the flowers are daisy-like and can have as many as fifteen petals or as few as five and they usually have squared-off or gently rounded ends (figure 9). There doesn’t appear to be as many of these bags as the Haudenosaunee examples, perhaps because the Wabanaki were more involved in the basket trade. Figure 8a – Beaded Bag, Wabanaki type. Glass beads, red wool broadcloth, green silk edge binding. 5.7 inches high by 5.5 inches wide. Second half of the nineteenth century. The bag outline is a variation of the vase or inverted keyhole shape. Figure 8b – Beaded Bag, Wabanaki type. Glass beads, red wool broadcloth band, red velvet extended top with drawstring, deer hide lining. 6 inches high by 5.5 inches wide. Second half of the nineteenth century. The leaf patterns on Wabanaki bags are often in the shape of a heart or ovate and usually fully beaded (figure 10). Like the Iroquois, the Wabanaki also incorporated paper patterns upon which their flower and leaf designs were beaded. The main stem of the floral design often rises from the center base of the bag in a flat bundle of beads, each string of which connects to a flower or leaf. These stems occasionally had bi-lobed or tri-lobed buds or ears connected to them (figures 9 & 10). Generally, this style of Wabanaki bag didn’t have a two-bead or zippered edging along the outside. Figure 9 – Detail view illustrating some of the unique design elements found on Wabanaki beaded bags. Figure 10 – Beaded Bag, Wabanaki type, inverted keyhole shape. Glass beads, black velvet fabric, brown velvet edge binding. 6.75 inches high by 5.75 inches wide. Third quarter of the nineteenth century. A beautiful example with a thistle design and examples of heart-shaped leaves. Jennifer Neptune, a Penobscot artist, points out that some of the repeated motifs seen on early souvenir bags were meant to convey a message about the individual or group identity of those who created them. I see medicine plants in the designs, and it’s obvious to me that people were beading designs of plants that were highly valued to themselves, their families, and their tribe. When I look at the floral designs I see plants that ease childbirth, break fevers, soothe coughs and colds, take away pain, heal cuts, burns, and bruises, and maintain general health.… A hundred years ago plants were the main source of medicine for Natives as well as non-Natives. With the knowledge and importance of these plants in our culture beadworkers needed to look no further than their own backyards for their own floral designs. A hundred years later these same plants are still in our backyards, are still being used for healing, and are still being used to inspire our beadwork designs (Faulkner, Prince & Neptune 1998:41). A rare and beautiful example of Wabanaki beadwork is a bag with a large sun motif as the focal point of the design (figure 11). This piece incorporates a limited color palette, suggesting an earlier date. The other side of the bag has three symmetrically placed daisy-like flowers with 12 petals, each connected to the center base of the bag by a single string of white beads. Some of the floral elements along the stem and at the top are suggestive of the double-curve motif. Figure 11 – Beaded Bag, Wabanaki type, inverted keyhole shape (both sides shown). Glass beads, black velvet fabric, silk ribbon edge binding and carrying strap, cotton lining. 6.2 inches high by 5.2 inches wide. Circa 1850. The tassel is made entirely of faceted metal beads and may not be original to the bag but it could have been added by the original owner. The vast majority of these bags are identified as Maliseet and occasionally they are assigned to the Passamaquoddy or the Mi’kmaq. Rarely is this style clearly attributed to the Penobscot. Images of people wearing vase or inverted keyhole-shaped bags are also quite rare (figure 12). Figure 12 – Daguerreotype, 3.3 inches high by 2.3 inches wide. Mid 1850s. A young girl with what might be a Wabanaki bag in the inverted keyhole or vase shape. Two rare examples of a Mi’kmaq bag are illustrated in figure 13. So few of these exist that just a single beadworker may have made them. The contour on one is similar to the Haudenosaunee hexagonal shape, but the sides on this example are curved rather than segmented. The internal designs are also much more symmetrical and curvilinear than those seen on Haudenosaunee work. Both of these bags are beaded onto red wool serge, of the type generally seen on Canadian military uniforms, and the beads on both are strung with horsehair. A similar bag is illustrated in The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada by Wallace and Wallace, page 82. It’s pictured alongside other articles of traditional Mi’kmaq dress attire, such as beaded trousers, moccasin vamps, epaulets, and women’s caps. Perhaps so few of these exist because they were made for personal use and not to be sold as souvenirs. Figure 13 – Beaded Bags, Mi’kmaq type. Glass beads sewn onto red wool serge of the type seen on Canadian military uniforms. The bag with the metal frame (both sides shown), is 6 inches high by 6 inches wide. The other bag (both sides shown) is 5.75 inches high by 6.125 inches wide and it once had a blue silk ribbon edge binding. Both are circa 1840s. The beads on both bags are strung on horsehair. The similarity of the curvilinear designs, bead colors and construction methods suggest that both were made by the same artist. The bag without the metal frame is from the collection of Richard Green. A very rare Mi’kmaq bag (figure 14) was found with the following old note: “The work of Molly Muise wife of Governor of the Mic Mac Tribe in Annapolis”. She is reputed to have lived to a great age and was so respected by her white neighbors that they erected a tombstone in her memory. She was born in Digby County, Nova Scotia, sometime in the third quarter of the eighteenth century and lived on the Bear River Indian Reserve, so this bag could date to the late eighteenth or the early nineteenth-century. A mid-nineteenth-century tintype of her in the Nova Scotia Museum is believed to be the earliest portrait of a Mi’kmaq woman by a photographic process (figure 15). Figure 14 – Beaded bag, early Mi’kmaq type. Glass beads, three red wool broadcloth panels, three black velvet panels (both sides shown). Green silk sides and extended top. Cotton lining. 7.25 inches high by 5 inches wide by 2.75 inches thick. Circa 1800. A very rare and early Native made drawstring reticule. Figure 15 – Tintype of Molly Muise. Mid-nineteenth century. From the collection of the Nova Scotia Museum. Like the Haudenosaunee, the Wabanaki had favorite venues for selling their work. In a classic turn-of-the-century postcard titled “Indians on the Reservation near Fredericton, New Brunswick” (figure 16) a group of what were likely Maliseet were standing by the edge of the St. John River. The wide panel along the bottom of the woman’s dress was beautifully beaded with floral motifs that are very similar to those on the Wabanaki bag in figure 17. Figure 16 – A circa 1880 image printed on a circa 1913 post card titled: “Indians on the Reservation near Fredericton, N. B.” 3.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches high. The original photo was taken during a St. Anne’s Day celebration at Kingsclear, New Brunswick. Likely a group of Maliseet. Photographer: William Taylor of Fredericton. Figure 17 – Beaded Bag, Wabanaki type, inverted keyhole shape, possibly Maliseet. Glass beads, black velvet fabric, silk ribbon edge binding, cotton lining. 6.3 inches high by 5.2 inches wide. The second half of the nineteenth century. The floral motifs on this bag are quite similar to those along the bottom panel of the woman’s dress in figure 16. Fredericton, New Brunswick, was likely one of those centers where beadwork flourished. It was the Provincial capital and would have been a destination for travelers. Located on the St. John’s River, a transportation lifeline on an early fur-trade route, it attracted many people to its fertile shores. For hundreds of years the Maliseet would seasonally hunt, fish and grow corn and squash along its banks. They established a permanent settlement there in 1847. The St. Mary’s Indian Band of Maliseet and the Kingsclear First Nations Band are still located nearby. On Prince Edward Island, Mi’kmaq basketmakers often travelled to the mainland for their basket material as it was in limited supply locally. The accessibility of beads may account, in part, for the regional development of beadwork. Beading supplies were likely more available in or near the larger cities. For those not willing or able to travel, basketmaking was perhaps a better alternative, especially if basketmaking supplies could be harvested nearby. Follow this link to Part 2 If you have an interest in Northeast Woodland beadwork you might find my book of interest. Titled: A Cherished Curiosity: TheSouvenir Beaded Bag in Historic Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Art by GerryBiron. Published in 2012. This is a brand new, hard cover book with dust jacket. 184 pages and profusely illustrated. 8.5 x 11 inches. ISBN 978-0-9785414-1-5. Since the early nineteenth century, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) beaded bags have been admired and cherished by travelers to Niagara Falls and other tourist destinations for their aesthetic beauty, detailed artistry, and the creative spirit of their makers. A long neglected and misunderstood area of American Indian artistry, "souvenir" art as it's come to be called, played a crucial role in the subsistence of many Indian families during the nineteenth century. This lavishly illustrated history examines these bags – the most extensively produced dress accessory made by the Haudenosaunee – along with the historical development of beadworking both as an art form and as a subsistence practice for Native women. In this book, the beadwork is considered in the context of art, fashion, and the tourist economy of the nineteenth century. Illustrated with over one hundred and fifty of the most important – and exquisite – examples of these bags, along with a unique collection of historical photographs of the bags in their original context, this book provides essential reading for collectors and researchers of this little understood area of American Indian art. References Cited in Part 1 & 2 Bourque, Bruce J and Labar, Laureen A. 2009 Uncommon Threads: Wabanaki Textiles, Clothing, and Costume. Maine State Museum in association with University of Washington Press. Seattle and London Department of Indian Affairs 1967 Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development – Indians of Quebec and the Maritime Provinces (An Historical Review). Published by the DIA, Indian Affairs Branch, Ottawa , Canada Eckstorm, Fannie Hardy [1932] 1980 The Handicrafts of the Modern Indians of Maine, published by Robert Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine. Printed by Jordan – Frost Printing Co., Bangor, Maine. Faulkner, Gretchen Fearon & Prince, Nancy & Sapiel, Jennifer 1998 Beautifully Beaded: Northeastern Native American Beadwork in American Indian Art Magazine, Volume 24, Number 1, Winter edition. Johnson, John W. 1861 Life of John W. Johnson who was Stolen by the Indians when three years of age, and identified by his father twenty years afterwards. Related by himself. Biddeford, Maine. Speck, Frank 1927 Symbolism in Penobscot Art. Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History. Volume XXIX, Part II. Published by the American Museum of Natural History, New York City. Wallace, Wilson D. and Wallace, Ruth Sawtell 1955 The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada – University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. Whitehead, Ruth Holmes 2001 The Traditional Material Culture of the Native Peoples of Maine in Bruce Bourque, Twelve Thousand Years: Native Americans in Maine. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Willoughby, Charles C. 1905 Textile Fabrics of the New England Indians, in American Anthropologist, New Series, Volume 7, F. W. Hodge, Editor, Lancaster, PA.

The origin of the pincushion is shrouded in the dark recesses of history. Many centuries ago, pins and needles were difficult to fabricate so their owners secured these highly valued items in specially made containers fashioned from precious metals, ivory and bone. Sometime during the 15th century in Europe, basic homespun pincushions that were tightly stuffed with wool roving and other materials came into use. Many were covered with colorful fabrics and over time they were made into an untold number of shapes including shoes, fans, dolls, fruits and vegetables. Figure 1 By the 16th century, pin-pillows (cushions with designs on them made by the arrangement of pins on their surface) became popular and these evolved into cushions that were attached to silver or wooden stands. By the early 19th century, pincushions became an all-purpose sewing aid and many were designed to be clamped or screwed to the edge of a sewing table (figure 1) and they were used effectively to hold fabrics in place while sewing. Perhaps the most popular form of pincushion was a tomato with attached strawberry emery (figure 2). Developed during the Tudor period (1485-1603), this shape was also adopted by 19th century Victorians. Wikipedia reports that according to folklore, “placing a tomato on the mantle of a new home guaranteed prosperity and repelled evil spirits. If tomatoes were out of season, families improvised by using a round ball of red fabric filled with sand or sawdust. The good-luck symbol also served a practical purpose—a place to store pins.”  Figure 2 - Tomato pincushion with strawberry emery. The 19th century gave rise to commercially manufactured pincushions as well and many were made to commemorate historical events. Beaded pincushions became popular during this period and Victorian ladies collected every variety of them. Many were made simply as a decorative item. Victorians loved to embellish their homes with unique and exotic items and their parlors or living rooms were the perfect setting to display their collections. Exactly when the Iroquois began making beaded pincushions is not clearly understood. The mission schools that were established on the reservations were known to teach sewing and embroidery skills to their Native students so rudimentary pincushions made for personal use were likely constructed during that period (late 18th and early 19th centuries). It wasn’t until sometime later that the Iroquois began beading pincushions for sale as souvenirs. In 1891, Samuel Welch published his recollections of Buffalo, New York during the 1830s and he wrote that the Seneca from nearby Buffalo Creek were “fabricating embroideries and ornaments… [that]were oftentimes ingeniously wrought, in original designs, in very pretty and artistic patterns.” He mentions that one of the items they were making were [pin] cushions. (Welch 1891:115). His account references the earliest known period that pincushions were being made by the Iroquois. Figure 3 - Multi-lobed pincushion with original inscription on the back that it was collected at Niagara Falls in 1850. Private collection. In another account recorded on May 25, 1852, Frances and Theresa Pulszky, two Hungarian exiles, visited the Tuscarora Reservation near Niagara Falls. Theresa wrote that they visited the home of a man of note and that he “greeted us cordially, and satisfied our questions about his mode of life in broken English.… His daughter-in-law was diligently embroidering pincushions.” In describing the beadwork they purchased, Pulszky said how the work was “tastefully… wrought! The same pattern is never repeated; the ornaments are poetically conceived, and executed with a richness of imagination which our manufacturers lack, accustomed as they are, to reproduce a thousand times the same design. To the children of the Great Spirit, the flowers, the birds, and the trees, speak a language, which transcribe in the charming figures, more pleasing to our eye than any artificial invention” (Pulszky and Pulszky 1853 (3): 121–125). Figure 4 - From Lewis Henry Morgan's Fifth Regents report to the State of New York. Welch’s account above is evidence that by the 1830s the Seneca were producing pincushions for sale. By 1850, the sale of Indian beadwork was in full swing and one pincushion that was acquired on Bath Island had the following inscription on the back: “Bought at the Bath House on Bath Island, Falls of Niagara, Sept. 27, 1850.” There is also a name after the date but it’s barely legible, though it possibly says Peterman (figure 3). Bath Island was one of several islands in the Goat Island complex. Access to Goat Island was from Bath Island where a visitor would first have to pay a toll. There was a concession at the Bath Island Toll House that sold so called “Indian curiosities.” The pincushion illustrated here was possibly made by Caroline Parker as a very similar example is illustrated in Lewis Henry Morgan’s Fifth Regents Report to the state of New York, January 22, 1851, Plate 19, (figure 4 in this blog posting) and Morgan reported that Caroline had created most of the beadwork for the state collection that would ultimately become the New York State Museum. This snowflake or multi-lobed design was popular during the mid-19th century (see: figures 6-8). Figure 6 Figure 7 Another pincushion in this style (figure 8) is in the collection of Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). It was originally purchased on Goat Island and it also has an inscription on the back which reads: “Purchased by [illegible name, though possibly Mrs. Nichelson, Jr.] from an Indian girl on Goat Island, Niagara Falls, & can therefore be documented genuine Indian made. 9 June 1854 – Friday.” Figure 8 Perhaps one of the best examples of a multi-lobed pincushion from the 1840-1850 time period is illustrated in figure 9. From the collection of the Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts, it is in the style that can be attributed to Caroline Parker, a Seneca beadworker from the Tonawanda Reservation about 40 miles east of Niagara Falls. The Rochester Museum and Science Center has a table cover in their collection (figure 10) that was made by Caroline Parker and illustrated in an article about her by Deborah Holler in Western New York Heritage magazine, and the central floral design on the table cover is stylistically the same as that on the pincushion. Other multi-lobed pincushions were also made during this period (figures 11 & 12) and the similarity of figure 7b and figure 12 suggests they were made by the same hand. The star/floral-like centers on these were often mentioned in mid-19th century ladies magazines. Beverly Gordon notes that: “The particular type of star or floral motif featured on early extant cushions… also appears 13 times in periodicals of the 1850’s and 1860’s. . . Dendrite or branching patterns radiating out from the points of the star (or petals of the star shaped flower) are referred to in the periodicals as ‘spray work. . .’ Perhaps the Iroquois women saw one of these patterns, or a fancy object worked according to similar directions. On the other hand, perhaps the people who designed patterns for Godey’s and Peterson’s (they are rarely identified and they are often one and the same) saw and adopted the Indian work” (Gordon 1984:145). Figure 9 - From the collection of Memorial Hall Museum. Figure 10 - From the collection of the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Figure 11 Figure 12 In 2003, the journal of the Society of Bead Researchers titled “Beads,” published an article about Iroquois beadwork in which the author stated that the tradition of raised beadwork began in western New York in the late-eighteenth century. In support of this, the author presented a single pincushion that appears to have the date 1798 inscribed on the back, in ink (Elliot 2003:6). There are several factors that argue against this piece originating from the late eighteenth century. For one, the pincushion is multi-lobed and it has the same floral/star-like motif that were featured in the mid-19th century periodicals mentioned above. Although a few pre-1830 examples of Iroquois beadwork with embryonic floral decorations exist (all on beaded souvenir bags), it’s not until the post-1830 pe­riod that stylistic and representational floral de­signs became prevalent. Multi-lobed pincushions with star/floral-like motifs don’t appear in their work until the second quarter on the 19th century. The designs on pieces from the earliest period of souvenir beadwork were abstract, geometrical and curvilinear. Additionally, the style of beading on pieces from this embryonic period was very linear in its execution, and quite unlike the beading style on the pincushion. Early pieces of souvenir beadwork were likely derived from eighteenth century analogues that were made on hide and decorated with porcupine quills. The technique of using large areas of solid bead-fill in the manner illustrated on this pincushion does not appear in Haudenosaunee beadwork until several decades later. The beading style on this pincushion is consistent with other beaded items that date to the mid-19th century and the design of the pincushion in the bead journal article is almost identical to the one in figure 12. The similarity of the two is striking. The central design motif on each is constructed utilizing an identical lane stitch technique. The construction of the inside star/floral design on figure 12 and the two strings of clear beads that surround it are identical to those on the bead journal pincushion. Additionally, each piece uses two strings of blue and white beads, in the same order, along their outside edge. On the bead journal pincushion, just like the one in figure 12, there are traces of a red silk edge binding material and at one time it likely once had a two-beaded edging like the one in figure 12. Additionally, the beaded floral/star-like pattern on the bead journal pincushion has a paper template beneath the beads – another feature that doesn’t appear in Hausenosaunee beadwork until about the 1840s. Prior to this the linear designs in the beadwork did not allow for the use paper templates. Furthermore, the beading style on this pincushion is not an early form of raised beadwork as the author of the bead journal article asserts. Raised beadwork is a type of lane stitch that has more beads on the thread than are necessary to cover a given distance. This causes the string of beads, when sewn down onto a base fabric, to form an arch above the surface of the fabric which gives the design a 3-D effect. The beading technique on the bead journal pincushion is clearly not raised beadwork. Rather it is a combination of lane stitch and overlaid or spot stitch, often referred to by Native artisans as flat beadwork and identical to the technique used in figure 12. Raised beadwork doesn’t appear in the art of the Haudenosaunee until the mid-nineteenth century nor is raised beadwork, as the author claims, “unique to the Haudenosaunee” and “made nowhere else in the world.” It’s been observed on Wabanaki beadwork from the third and fourth quarters of the nineteenth century and there are examples of raised beadwork among some of the Algonquian tribes from southern New England. It appears in the work of the Mohegan, Niantic, and the Montauk that date from the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries (see: Decorative Art of the Indian Tribes of Connecticut, by Frank Speck, Canada Dept. of Mines, Memoir75, Ottawa 1915 and Beads and Beadwork of the American Indians by William Orchard, 1975, Pl XXXVII). A form of raised beadwork also appears in Regency period beadwork from the first quarter of the 19th century in England. Moreover, the origin of the four digit number on the back of the bead journal pincushion could have an alternative explanation. Other pieces of Iroquois beadwork are occasionally found with three and four digit numbers inked on the inside. Sometimes they represent an accurate date – but not always. Years ago I was offered an old beaded bag by an antique dealer who was unskilled at identifying historic American Indian beadwork. The piece he was offering had the number 1644, in old faded ink, beneath the flap and he was certain that it meant the bag was from that date. The piece was actually an Iroquois floral bag, in the Niagara style, from the mid-19th century yet he assumed that the piece was made in 1644 because of the presumed date. Although the number clearly didn’t represent an accurate date, it was distinctly old and may have been an inventory number or, like the date on the pincushion in the bead journal article, it could have been added years later by someone who mistakenly thought, assumed or was told it was made in 1798. The beading style of the pincushion is clearly from the mid-19th century and I’ve yet to see a beaded Iroquois pincushion that predates the 1830s. Figure 13 One of the most popular early styles of Iroquois pincushions was made in the shape of a heart. The earliest example, in a published report, appears in Lewis Henry Morgan’s Third Regents Report to the State of New York in 1850, Plate 13 (figure 13 in this blog posting). Considering that Caroline Parker made most of the beadwork for Morgan, this might be another example of her work. Figures 14 through 20 are other examples of early (1830s-1850s) heart shaped pincushions. The example in figure 20 is exceptional as it also has a beaded heart with side wings as the central motif. The beads that make up this design are size 22/0 (.040 inch diameter), some of the finest beads that were made by the Bohemian bead factories. Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18 From the collection of Grant Wade Jonathan. Figure 19 As evidenced by a circa 1860 stereoview (figure 21), the Iroquois were making much larger pincushions by this date and many were beaded almost exclusively with either white or crystal beads or a combination of the two on a bright red wool fabric. In 1859, Florence Hartley wrote that “the beadwork of the North American Indians is among the most beautiful. The Canadian Indian women sell large quantities to visitors to the Falls of Niagara, and a great deal of it finds its way to our large cities. It is of every imaginable form, and generally is done on a bright scarlet ground with pure white beads.” (Hartley 1859:25). Precisely who these Canadian Indian women were is debatable. There are too few accounts that specifically mention the tribal origins of the beadworkers whom patrons were soliciting. Un­fortunately, this limits our understanding of this marvelous beadwork. Often, references to the In­dians are made in the broad sense so the Canadian Indian women could have been from any one of the Six Haudenosaunee Nations that live in Canada. During this period Haudenosaunee beadwork­ers developed a fondness for crystal beads. This could have been an evolving esthetic, as clear beads have positive connotations associated with them, or it may have been the only beads avail­able at the time. It’s also possible that their use had a more practical advantage: fewer colors to stock in inventory and leftover beads from one project could easily be used on another. Dated ex­amples indicate that this style was popular until at least the late 1880s. Figure 22 is a Tuscarora example from the National Museum of the American Indian collection. What could be a Seneca piece is illustrated in figure 23. An exceptional cushion from the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, decorated in both beads and dyed moosehair, is illustrated in figure 24. These large examples are approximately 8 inches in diameter. Another style of pincushion, though uncommon, is illustrated in figure 25. This style is in the shape of a small rectangular pillow and unusual forms like these may have been made strictly as a decorative item as many are found that are in near perfect condition. The style of beading on this piece appears to be Seneca. Figure 20  Figure 21 - One panel from a circa 1860 stereo view. Figure 22 - Tuscarora. From the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian. Circa 1860. Figure 23 - Possibly Seneca. Late 1850s. Figure 24 - From the collection of the Metropolitian Museum of Art. Possibly Seneca. With moosehair embroidery in the center. Circa 1860. Figure 25 Several old images exist of individuals wearing Iroquois pincushions though none are as early as the pincushions in this posting. One of the earliest I have seen is the example in figure 26. This looks to be circa 1900 and from a photographer in Brantford, Ontario suggesting it may have originated from the nearby Six Nations Reserve. The subject in figure 27 is wearing a similar pincushion that is dated 1909 in beads. A hand written note on the back reads: “For my Harold, love, your Allira.” The individual in the circa 1910 real photo postcard (RPPC) (figure 28) is also wearing a similar heart shaped pincushion and this individual is identified on the back as Big Bear, Caughnawaga Reserve [Kahnawake] near Montreal. The unidentified individual in the circa 1910 RPPC in figure 29 is wearing a large, tri-lobed pincushion at his waist. Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28 Figure 29 The Wabanaki also produced pincushions during the 19th century and they were distinctly different from those the Iroquois were making. Most of the early ones I have seen are decorated with both beads and porcupine quills (figure 30). Figures 31 through 33 are other early Mi’kmaq examples. The earliest image I have seen that contained a Wabanaki pincushion is a circa 1905 postcard of the Mi’kmaq Indian village in Halifax, Nova Scotia (figure 34). The items on the makeshift table might be pincushions or pillows, and they appear to be beaded but the image is not distinct enough to elaborate any further. Figure 30 - Likely Mi'kmaq. First quarter of the 19th century. Figure 31 - Likely Mi'kmaq. Pre-1850. Figure 32 - Mi'kmaq - 2nd quarter of the 19th century. Figure 33 - Mi'kmaq. Pre-1850. Figure 34 - Circa 1905 postcard of the Mi'kmaq village in Halifax, NS. References Cited: Elliot, Dolores 2003 Beads: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers, Vol. 15, edited by Karlis Karklins. Gordon, Beverly 1984 The Niagara Falls Whimsey: The Object as a Symbol of Cultural Interface. Ph.D. dissertation. Department of Textiles and Design, the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Hartley, Florence 1859 Ladies Handbook of Fancy and Ornamental Work Comprising Directions and Patterns for Working in Appliqué, Bead Work, Braiding, Canvass Work, Knitting, Netting, Tatting, Worsted Work, Quilting, Patchwork, & c. & c. Illustrated with 262 engrav­ings. John E. Potter, Publisher, Philadelphia. Holler, Deborah 2011 “The Remarkable Caroline G. Parker Mountplasant, Seneca Wolf Clan.” Western New York Heritage Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring. Morgan, Lewis Henry 1850 “Report to the Regents of the University, upon the Articles Furnished to the Indian Collection.” In The Third Annual Report of the Regents of the University on the Condition of the State Cabinet of Natural History and Antiquarian Collection, Annexed Thereto pp. 63 – 93. Revised Edition: Printed by Weed, Parsons and Company, Albany. 1852 “Report on the Fabrics, Inventions, Implements and Utensils of the Iroquois, Made to the Regents of the University, Jan. 22, 1851; Illustrative of the Collection Annexed to the State Cabinet of Natural History, with Illustrations.” In The Fifth Annual Report of the Regents of the University on the Condition of the State Cabinet of Natural History and the Historical and Antiquarian Collection, Annexed Thereto, pp 68 – 117. Printed by Richard H. Pease, Albany. Pulszky, Francis and Theresa 1853 White . Red . Black – Sketches of Society in the United States During the Visit of Their Guest, in Three Volumes – London: Trubner and Co. Welch, Samuel M. 1891 Recollections of Buffalo During the Decade From 1830 to 1840, or Fifty Years Since. Descriptive and Illustrative, with Incidents and Anecdotes. Buffalo: Peter Paul & Brothers.