Collections: Arts of the Americas: Pair of Moccasins

18:18 07/29/2009

Hi Billy and Tyrone, I forwarded your comments to our curator, Nancy Rosoff, and she mentioned that "We do not change cultural attributions, but add to them. The moccasins were collected by Culin from the Osage in 1911, although they were made by a Cheyenne woman. The Cheyenne attribution is confirmed by two people in the Catalogue Description field." In case you are curious, the Culin Nancy refers to is one of our first curators at the Museum - he's even got his own wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Culin

posted by shelley

13:28 07/27/2009

These moccasins are certainly of Cheyenne origin.The comment of Standingbear is totally incorrect.The "thunderbird" design is the mark of 'Cheyenne women's beadwork guild "as well as an Algonkin design the Cheyenne brougt with them as they left the Great Lakes and movedto the plains area. The white background could indicate they were made for a respected elder or holyman,The t-bird design is not upsidedown it is the way the Cheyenne always portray the design on the vamp. In addition the colors are considered to be sacred colors the Cheyenne use in alltheir beadwork along with yellow,green,black or navy.The most significant Cheyenne feature will be the cut of the moccasin upper. It appears to be "typical".

posted by Tyrone Stewart

23:44 01/29/2009

May well be Osage owed, but they are Oklahoma Cheyenne made.

posted by Billy Maxwell

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Pair of Moccasins

• Cultures: Osage, Native American; or Sioux, Native American; or Cheyenne, Native American
• Medium: Hide, beads
• Place Made: Pahuska, Osage Village, Oklahoma, USA
• Dates: early 20th century
• Dimensions: Each: 10 13/16 x 4 5/16 in. (27.5 x 11 cm)
• Collections: Arts of the Americas
• Museum Location: This item is on view in American Identities: A New Look, Centennial Era, 5th Floor
• Accession Number: 11.694.9035a-b
• Credit Line: Museum Expedition 1911, Museum Collection Fund
• Image: Overall, 11.694.9035a-b_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Osage, Native American. Pair of Moccasins, early 20th century. Hide, beads, Each: 10 13/16 x 4 5/16 in. (27.5 x 11 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1911, Museum Collection Fund, 11.694.9035a-b (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 11.694.9035a-b_PS2.jpg)
• Catalogue Description: Pair of moccasins with totally beaded blue and red thunderbird designs. According to Osage, Sean Standing Bear, 10/20/2000, non-Osage person might have made these because the birds are positioned upside down. Osage design dictates indicate the birds would point skywards. 10/13/04: Reviewed by Tim Ramsey, Southern Cheyenne/Choctaw bead artist who said they were definitely Cheyenne. Style components are: the extra bead strip that runs across the top of the vamp in front, another bead strip vertical along the heel and the 7 designs spaced over the body with a central design right on the toe. In addition, the bird depicted is not a thunderbird but a scissortail. This is a silvery grey bird with a light salmon breast. It has a white and black head. It's tail feathers are very long and split, gracefully as they show in the beadwork, and are usually white, sometimes with a salmon blush to part of them, with black tips. The feathers are used to make fans carried by the Cheyenne men. B Hail 11/2006: Beadwork is definitely Cheyenne on the toe although has elements in the back that is used by other groups.