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Art History Virtual Exhibition

Reproduction of a 20th century beaded headband from the Lakota Sioux culture Reproduction made by Jasmine Currey, 2016

Native American Beadwork: Researched by Jasmine Currey

September, 2020 by Sarah Teel

Native American beadwork varies greatly among different cultures, with individual nations often adopting specific designs, color schemes, beading techniques, and added elements.  The Bone Bead Key Ring in this display, for example, is composed of glass seed beads, aluminum tinklers, short cylindrical plastic beads, and long bone beads, all strung on hemp cord; this particular group of materials, along with the black background color and the prominent use of red in the designs, indicates that this keyring was likely made by a Cherokee artisan.

The Triangle-Design Headband, meanwhile, is a typically Lakota Sioux design, as is the use of a light blue background and lighter, brighter foreground designs.  Such headbands are still worn by children among the Lakota Sioux as part of ritual dress for important cultural events.

Bone Bead Key Ring
Cherokee culture
20th century
Glass, steel, aluminum, plastic, bone, and hemp cord,
L. 22 cm x W. 1.5 cm x H. 3.5 cm
Hernandez collection #2014.1

 

Triangle-Design Headband
Lakota Sioux cultures
20th century
Glass beads and cotton thread, L. 58.5 cm x W. 2 mm x H. 4 cm
Ralph Foster Museum collection #NN008

 

 

For more information, you may contact the researcher(s) noted in the title of this exhibit entry, or Dr. Billie Follensbee, the professor of the course, at BillieFollensbee@MissouriState.edu

Filed Under: 2016 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas Tagged With: 20th century american art, bone bead, cherokee culture, headband, lakota culture, lakota sioux cultures, Sioux Culture

Categories

  • 2014 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2015 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2016 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2016 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2017 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2018 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2018 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2019 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2020 Fall, ART 487: Art of the Americas
  • 2020 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2021 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2022 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2024 Fall, ART/MST488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2025 Spring, ART486: Art of Africa
  • Art History Virtual Exhibit

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19th century 20th century 20th century art africa african art African basketry akua'ba american midwest american midwest ozarks culture asante culture bamana culture basketry baule culture beadwork berber culture bonniebrook CASL Exhibit ceramic ceramics ceremonial masks conservation cowrie shells footstone gravestone Great Plains Cultures headstone kente cloth lakota culture luba culture maasai culture mask metal artifacts Navajo/Diné culture ndebele culture oceania ozarks culture panama peru senufo culture Sioux Culture staffs staffs of power textile tourist trade art zulu culture

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