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Lot Essay
Beginning about mid-19th century, Plains and Plateau Indian women began to ornate garments and other objects with imported glass beads, supplied to them by traders. The middle decades of the century are popularly referred to as the Pony Bead Era, when beads averaging about two millimeters in diameter came into play. Indian women utilized "pony beads," also known as "pound beads," in great quantities to create bold designs. The colors of the beads used were white, black, medium blue, and red. The yoke of this dress is a fine example of the striking designs created by artists working with these beads.
American Indian apparel from the mid-19th century is rare, and is seen in only a few collections. Thus, dresses of this genre are present in the occasional historical photograph of various tribal members, including those of the Capalousa, Cayuse, Nez Perce, Tenino, Umatilla, Wasco, Wishram, and Yakama (preferred current spelling). In fact, this very dress is reportedly pictured in a photograph being worn by a woman participating in a parade on the Yakama Reservation in the 1940s.
The structure of the dress merits commentary. Typically, dresses of the genre are constructed of two mountain sheep hides, one forming the front and one the back--tail ends up. The back legs form the cape-like sleeves, and the shoulder areas of the hides fall at the outside bottom of the A-line skirt. The hides are sewn together at the top with a straight seam so that a narrow margin of the hides are then folded down onto themselves, causing the tails to fall at the center of the yoke on both sides of the dress. Significantly, skins from female animals are frequently selected for making a dress. The skin of the udder is present at the elbow area of the sleeves. At this point the hide is usually very thin and does not withstand the stress of the tanning process well. It is often reinforced, or is replaced by a separate piece of hide, as is the case with this dress. Additional decoration includes red ochre pigment applied to the unbeaded areas of the yoke, and large blue glass, and oval hollow brass beads were suspended from long thongs at intervals below the yoke.
For similar examples see Vincent, Brydon, and Coe 2000:183; Wright, 1991:50.
Benson L. Lanford
April 26, 2001
American Indian apparel from the mid-19th century is rare, and is seen in only a few collections. Thus, dresses of this genre are present in the occasional historical photograph of various tribal members, including those of the Capalousa, Cayuse, Nez Perce, Tenino, Umatilla, Wasco, Wishram, and Yakama (preferred current spelling). In fact, this very dress is reportedly pictured in a photograph being worn by a woman participating in a parade on the Yakama Reservation in the 1940s.
The structure of the dress merits commentary. Typically, dresses of the genre are constructed of two mountain sheep hides, one forming the front and one the back--tail ends up. The back legs form the cape-like sleeves, and the shoulder areas of the hides fall at the outside bottom of the A-line skirt. The hides are sewn together at the top with a straight seam so that a narrow margin of the hides are then folded down onto themselves, causing the tails to fall at the center of the yoke on both sides of the dress. Significantly, skins from female animals are frequently selected for making a dress. The skin of the udder is present at the elbow area of the sleeves. At this point the hide is usually very thin and does not withstand the stress of the tanning process well. It is often reinforced, or is replaced by a separate piece of hide, as is the case with this dress. Additional decoration includes red ochre pigment applied to the unbeaded areas of the yoke, and large blue glass, and oval hollow brass beads were suspended from long thongs at intervals below the yoke.
For similar examples see Vincent, Brydon, and Coe 2000:183; Wright, 1991:50.
Benson L. Lanford
April 26, 2001