TOTEMS TO TURQUOISE (AMNH, NEW YORK, NY, USA, 2004)

some oxidation

This man's breast plate has nine, carved flat, shell bead strands across the chest centered with a blue faceted glass bead. This is then held by a raw, hide, thin band that goes all around. This is studded with small brass buttons. Ten rawhide cords are along the sides for tying on and two at the top.

Tag attached M.D. Schwatrz: "Flask 19th c. Puurchased over 40 years ago in shop in Greenwich, R. I."

Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund

The slightly curved steel blade of the knife is bound to the well-round bone (?) handle by a worked sheet of brass. This brass is finished in a series of little points at the handle end and incised with series of simple lines, both parallel and diagonal, to form bands. The sheath for this knife is worked with porcupine quills in purplish brown, orange, yellow, and natural white in a motif of connecting diamonds. The body of the sheath has an orange triangle with "V" shaped outlines at the very bottom, below the pattern of connected diamonds. The panel or cuff is striped. Many metal cones are suspended from the bottom of the cuff and one single cone, or tinkler is suspended from the bottom tip of the sheath. These 'tin-tinklers' on the panel were once quill-wrapped.The leather is thread sewn so that beige ribbon adorns the panel or cuff.

Central Plains beadwork but Sioux type shape. The little side danglers with edge beadwork are often done in Oklahoma area. The bell is a nice touch and it therefore might be part of regalia.

The saddle is constructed as a heavy pad, enclosed within a durable covering of smoked skins. The skins were cut in an hourglass shape and then sewn together with sinew. The pad itself is stuffed with deer of buffalo hair or, possibly grass as a cushion. A large rectangular piece of Stroud cloth, now brown, has been attached across the center of the saddle. It is finished with two lobe-like shapes and edged with white beads. The seams of the pad are edged with multi-colored quillwork in yellow, light blue, lavender, orange, brown, black and white. Black cotton fringe has been attached to the two narrow ends of the saddle. On each of the longer sides are four elongated cloth tabs, red at the center, tan at the edges and beaded with small geometric forms and lines in white, blue and orange. The tabs are trimmed at the bottom with deer hair tufts and interspersed with a fringe of large black, blue and amber glass beads. A cloth rosette decorates each of the four corners of the pad, containing four interconnected lobes that are fashioned in red, blue and black silk and Stroud cloth and ornamented with beads. Below each rosette are appliquéd lozenge forms or pointed ovals, containing two small triangles placed back to back, also edged with white beads. The remnants of what might be stirrup leathers are concealed under the cloth. They are covered by a lighter, softer skin (deer?). The strap remnants seem to be recycled from some other object - - one side has a green, black and red painted design. Some native repair is evident. See Jarvis supplemental file Arts of Americas office.

Culin purchased this rattle from Saucy Calf who explained the symbolism to Francis La Flesche. It would have been used in what is now the Native American Church. The gourd is painted with a zigzag line of red paint that represents the crown of thorns. The handle is worked with beads that represent lightning, divided into two parts by a band in the middle. The lower part of this band represents earth and the upper the sky, illustrating man ascending into heaven. The metal attached to the handle reads, “Behold the heart of Jesus is with me."