Description: This larger wrist purse/bag was made by Paul St John, Mohawk craftsman. It is in the shape of bags made by his mother's Wabanaki ancestors from 1850-1870. Paul replicated the larger design of 3 heart shape flower and 2 oval green leaves. The zig-zag design at bag's top is taken from another early bag. In the book mentioned below "Made of Thunder, Made of Glass; American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast" there is a photo including 3 bags with the multi-color heart shaped flowers which were made between 1850-1870. Beaded wrist bags were used by all of the Northeast Woodland tribes - Including tribes in the Iroquois and the Wabanaki Confederacies. The bag is of vintage red trade wool. Bag is bound with black grosgrain silk ribbon and strap is made the same ribbon. The beaded design on the bag is done in glass seed beads of white, brick red, medium blue and green.. The bag is 10.5" long and is 8" across at widest (bottom). The wrist strap is 7.25" from top center of strap to side of bag at it's attachment point - this allows for you to wear over your wrist. Strap is 1" wide. - You could also attach this bag to your belt as part of your regalia - holding several essentials inside; small wallet, medicine bundle, prescription medicine, - etc Or use it as a beautiful display piece. 6th photo in slideshow above shows a Penobscot girl with a similar shape bag on her wrist (or tied to her belt ? hard to tell). The bottom 2 flowers on the bag are similar heart shape flowers to the 3 flowers on this bag (2 daisy shape flowers at the top of the bag... as I re-list this piece there is smaller wrist bag with 4 daisy shape flowers, if interested check it out in this eBay store) A book that has several photographs of these earlier non-floral and floral design Northeast bags is called "Made of Thunder, Made of Glass; American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast"It is a valuable resource for the photos alone - the history etc included is an added bonus. This beaded wrist bag returns from a brief stay at the Portland Art Museum (Portland Maine) - where it had been under consideration as an item for their permanent Wabanaki collection. (It and similar pieces were chosen from photographs of similar items to be viewed "in person" for final selection). It was not one of the items that will be included in the permanent collection. But - To be considered - such an honor! Paul St. John now lives in Maine, near his late mother's Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac relatives. He is an enrolled Mohawk and grew up on the Mohawk lands in New York, his father's tribe. 2nd from last photo in slideshow is of Paul St John and 2 of his other works. Last photo is of his Mohawk grandmother, Amelia St John who taught him beading. Paul St John also makes birchbark, porcupine quill and coiled sweetgrass baskets, beaded knife cases, traditional dolls, water drums, birch bark rattles, beaded barrettes and moccasins among numerous other traditional crafts - check out more of his work in this ebay store.
Price: 178.75 USD
Location: Sedgwick, Maine
End Time: 2024-12-27T15:03:32.000Z
Shipping Cost: 6.75 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Original or Reproduction: original
Region or Culture: Northeast
Country of Manufacture: United States
Material: trade wool, glass beads, silk ribbon
Artisan: Paul St John
Tribal Affiliation: Mohawk
Handmade: Yes
Modified Item: No
Culture: Native American: US
Native American Age: CURRENT - NEW!
