Pair of Man's Cuffs
CultureMeskwaki, Iowa
Dateca. 1925
MediumCotton cloth, glass beads, and native tanned leather
DimensionsOverall: 6 7/8 × 13 7/8 inches (17.46 × 35.24 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: Donald D. Jones Fund for American Indian Art and gift of the Svacina Family
Object number2002.20.1 A,B
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 208
Collections
DescriptionPair of cuffs covered with bead embroidery, each with the design of a large eagle with out-stretched wings on a light ground; bead fringe.Gallery LabelDuring the late 19th century, many tribes used patriotic symbols in a variety of artistic forms to express various meanings. A design based on the Great Seal of the United States was embroidered on this pair of beaded dance cuffs; while the image itself is non-traditional, the artist has nonetheless expressed ancient Mesquakie concepts within her creation. The American eagle is a subtle replacement for the mythic thunderbird, a powerful guardian spirit, while the iridescent white and purple glass beads recall wampum, early beads of clam shell often suffused with symbolic meanings.
Torrence, Gaylord, ed. Continuum: North American Native Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
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