pair of beaded moccasins

unrecorded Potawatomi artist, artist

pair of beaded moccasins, 1860s

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: buckskin; dyeing; cloth; beading

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Length (Height x Width x Length): a 6 x 11.5 x 25.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Length (Height x Width x Length): a 6 x 11.5 x 25.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Length (Height x Width x Length): b 7 x 11 x 25 cm
Object Height/Width/Length (Height x Width x Length): 2 3/4 x 4 5/16 x 9 13/16 in

Credit line: Source unknown

Accession number: 2007.3741.a,b

Not on display

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Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"Passages: Persistent Visions of a Native Place," Sep-2011, Nancy Mahaney
The construction of this footwear is a standard Potawatomi style buckskin with large ankle flaps that cover the top of the form. However, the beading pattern is a mixture of different styles.

Some believe that the Potawatomi, Chippewa, and Ottawa were once a unified tribe. Perhaps that ancestry, combined with their interactions with other groups such as the Ho-Chunk, Kansa, Otoe, Missouri, and Pawnee, explains the integration of beading styles found in this example of Prairie moccasins. The vamp or foot proper areas of these moccasins are decorated in a bi-laterally symmetrical, abstract curvilinear design reminiscent of a floral or woodland derived stylization. The ankle cuffs/flaps reveal a beaded geometric style. This unique beading style was most likely a result of the homogenization of tribal influences when these different cultures of people came together. The extensive beading and festive colors and decorations would suggest that these moccasins were intended for a celebratory event. This pair represents a very fine example of the unification of styles that reflects strength and resilience in the face of frequent relocation.

Exhibition Label:
"Vanished Voices: The Legacy of Northeast Kansas Indians," Jul-2004, Joni Murphy, Andrea S. Norris
The curved floral designs and complex symmetry of these moccasins are characteristic of Potawatomi stitched beadwork.

Archive Label:
The asymmetry of this design is characteristic of many Great Lakes patterns. The Potawatomi began in Wisconsin but resettled to Kansas and Oklahoma in the 19th century. The beads are stitched on cloth sewn to the leather moccasins.