Moccasin

37586B

From: United States of America | Montana | Fort Peck Reservation

Curatorial Section: American

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Native Name Hampwaka-Sbupi
Object Number 37586B
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Yankton | Dakota | Sioux
Provenience United States of America | Montana | Fort Peck Reservation
Culture Area Great Plains Culture Area
Section American
Materials Rawhide | Buckskin | Bead
Description

One of a pair of two matching leather moccasins. The moccasins are not individually labeled aside from the number 37586, which is written on the sole of each moccasin, near the heel. The leather of each moccasin folds over at the ankle, extending almost to the sole and ending in wide fringe. Both moccasins are decorated with glass beads that have been sewn on in symmetrical patterns. There is a strip of blue beadwork encircling both moccasins, accented with a repeating pattern of alternating colored squares. A wider rectangular strip of beadwork extends from just below the laces and ends 3.5cm before the toe of each shoe. These strips of beadwork are both 11.2 cm long and 3.1cm wide. They consist mainly of rows of blue or yellow beads surrounding smaller geometric patterns of red, green, and indigo beadwork. There are faint impressions of a heel and toes in the sole of each shoe, indicating that they were worn.

The left moccasin has black stains at the back of the ankle, as well as two small holes in the same location. There is a gap in the band of blue beads just above the heel.

The right moccasin has a 2cm-long tear in the leather on the left side of the ankle that has been repaired with white thread or sinew. There several brown stains on the heel of the sole, and a small amount of organic material adhering to the stains, likely plant matter.

Height 8 cm
Length 26 cm
Width 10 cm
Credit Line John Wanamaker Expedition, 1900; R. Stewart Culin, 1900

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