Cuff, late 1800s. In the 1800s, native peoples began to use European fabrics to fashion fine formal garments; they favored sturdy cloth, such as velvet and wool broadcloth, which provided support for heavy decorative beadwork that was added by hand. Often the fabric was a dark colour, providing dramatic contrast for the multicoloured beads. Rather than encrusting the entire garment, beadwork was confined to cuffs, "epaulettes," bib-like plackets and yokes, rectangular panels sewn to leggings, shirts, and dresses, and the like.

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Photo credit: © Heritage Art/Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anishinaabe, art, beads, cleveland, cree, garment, glass, great, heritage, lakes, museum, nehiyawak, northeast, ojibwe, people?, region, satin, unknown, velvet, woodlands