Beaded Wool Felt Purse, 1860s
The double spiral motif is traditional to art of the Northeast Woodland (Iroquois or Haudenosaunee) nations of upstate New York. In the 1800s, members of several nations made purses and other objects for sale to tourists in the Saratoga Springs resort and Niagara Falls regions. By the 1840s, floral designs influenced by Euro-American needlework were added for commercial appeal. Beadwork continued (and continues) to be an important medium for self-expression within Native communities in many regions.
Wool felt, silk ribbon, glass beads. Gift of Helen S. Cartledge 1613.4