Post by Moon Seeker on Aug 14, 2009 19:33:15 GMT -5
Exhibit shows examples of Native American beadwork
By: Aaron Brand - Texarkana Gazette - Published: 08/14/2009
Idabel, Okla.—The Museum of the Red River’s newest exhibit, “Plains Beadwork,” opened Tuesday to display dozens of examples of beautiful, utilitarian artistry from Sioux, Cheyenne and Kiowa tribes.
“We have a little over 80 pieces in this exhibit and all of them are from the Plains. We’ve sort of divided it up into things from the northern Plains, central Plains, and southern Plains that have different styles,” said Daniel Vick, assistant curator and keeper of collections at the museum.
Clothing, moccasins, containers, horse equipment and cradles are among the items on display, showing a wide variety of what incorporates beadwork. “Almost anything can be beaded,” Vick said.
Items come from the Museum of the Red River’s own permanent collection, which numbers about 18,000 objects. “It seems to be growing all the time,” said Vick.
Plains Indians used a few different styles in their beadwork, he said. Most tribes used enlarged geometric designs and curvilinear, floral designs.
“And then there’s also what’s known as pictorial representations, so there might be something like a horse or a figure on horseback, something more realistic,” Vick said.
Before contact with Europeans, Native Americans used beads made of shell, bone, or stone, he said. The beadwork on display consists of glass beads, most of which are called seed beads and are 1 to 3 millimeters in diameter, he said. He said they were introduced around the 1840s.
“It would have been part of the fur trade,” Vick said about their acquisition, noting the high point of using seed beads was from 1880 to 1920. Much of what the Museum of the Red River has in its collection dates from that time, he added.
“Beading is still going on today so we have some pieces that are just a couple of years old,” explained Vick.
“Beads were sort of a symbol of wealth for a lot of the nomadic tribes,” he said, because they could be easily shown and carried from place to place.
The exhibit runs through Oct. 4. A seminar titled “Masters of the Craft: Plains Beadwork” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 5. To sign up, call the museum.
(Admission is free to the Museum of the Red River. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. More information: 580-286-3616 or http://www.museumoftheredriver.org.)
www.texarkanagazette.com/news/accent/2009/08/14/exhibit-shows-examples-of-native-america-75.php
By: Aaron Brand - Texarkana Gazette - Published: 08/14/2009
Idabel, Okla.—The Museum of the Red River’s newest exhibit, “Plains Beadwork,” opened Tuesday to display dozens of examples of beautiful, utilitarian artistry from Sioux, Cheyenne and Kiowa tribes.
“We have a little over 80 pieces in this exhibit and all of them are from the Plains. We’ve sort of divided it up into things from the northern Plains, central Plains, and southern Plains that have different styles,” said Daniel Vick, assistant curator and keeper of collections at the museum.
Clothing, moccasins, containers, horse equipment and cradles are among the items on display, showing a wide variety of what incorporates beadwork. “Almost anything can be beaded,” Vick said.
Items come from the Museum of the Red River’s own permanent collection, which numbers about 18,000 objects. “It seems to be growing all the time,” said Vick.
Plains Indians used a few different styles in their beadwork, he said. Most tribes used enlarged geometric designs and curvilinear, floral designs.
“And then there’s also what’s known as pictorial representations, so there might be something like a horse or a figure on horseback, something more realistic,” Vick said.
Before contact with Europeans, Native Americans used beads made of shell, bone, or stone, he said. The beadwork on display consists of glass beads, most of which are called seed beads and are 1 to 3 millimeters in diameter, he said. He said they were introduced around the 1840s.
“It would have been part of the fur trade,” Vick said about their acquisition, noting the high point of using seed beads was from 1880 to 1920. Much of what the Museum of the Red River has in its collection dates from that time, he added.
“Beading is still going on today so we have some pieces that are just a couple of years old,” explained Vick.
“Beads were sort of a symbol of wealth for a lot of the nomadic tribes,” he said, because they could be easily shown and carried from place to place.
The exhibit runs through Oct. 4. A seminar titled “Masters of the Craft: Plains Beadwork” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 5. To sign up, call the museum.
(Admission is free to the Museum of the Red River. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. More information: 580-286-3616 or http://www.museumoftheredriver.org.)
www.texarkanagazette.com/news/accent/2009/08/14/exhibit-shows-examples-of-native-america-75.php