2 Likes
@LaurieC Hi & Welcome. By authentic do you mean Native American made? I honestly don’t know if that’s possible to determine. Do you have any background info about this piece? Is it a choker or a hatband? I do like the design & beadwork.
Yes,I would like to get an idea on tribe possibly. It’s a belt. I don’t have any information on it.
@LaurieC Okay, thanks. I didn’t even think about it being a belt. I’m sorry, beaded items are an area of collecting that I’m not at all knowledgeable about. Hopefully, others will chime in.
We might have a person with beadwork knowledge on the boards, but I’m not sure who. you might be better off trying some of the native american facebook group pages. Pretty sure there’s at least one for beadwork.
1 Like
@Jemez2 Thanks for chiming in. I had more questions than any answers for the OP. That’s a really good suggestion you made about NA Facebook pages!
1 Like
Thank you, please let me know either way.
I still don’t have any answers.
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you try any facebook groups? If no one else here has spoken up, then that probably means that no one in the community has information that might assist in your search.
in my opinion, it is virtually impossible to date, value, or identify beadwork origins in the absence of signatures or provenance. Due to the “boom” of interest in all things native-american and southwest style every few decades (50s, 70s, 90s), there are millions of non-native people who have tried their hands at adopting the crafts and styles of indigenous cultures. Everything from scouting troops to craft-store makers, frequently mingled in with the work of well known or up and coming native makers. You can find hundreds of books online to obtain patterns, instructions, and material lists for items similar to yours.
from my non-beadwork-expert eyes, it looks like a hatband? or a belt? I can’t tell the length shown in your image. it looks to be loom beaded strip applied to the leather strap, as opposed to beaded on fabric and ten attached the leather. the beads all look like common craft beads, probably glass, in colors and size as what is commercially available now. it looks to be finished with some suede accent strips, blanket-stitch type binding, and peened (domed) buffalo nickels. Once the nickels are domed like this, i believe they lose their coin-collecting value.
Having said all that, it is entirely possible that a native person made it. It’s just highly unlikely you can confirm who. You’ll need to consult with someone who has a deep familiarity with this style of beadwork, in hopes that they recognize some significant component that leans toward a specific maker. Otherwise, it is simply a “western styled” piece.
3 Likes
Thank you, it is a belt. Waiting to hear from another site.
Would like to know where you found/purchased it?
@Jemez22 is right about the wide popularity of faux “Indian” things as hobby activity, including in commercially sold kits.
If you get more info I’m sure we’d like to hear.
1 Like
It does appear to have age to it and really nice beading. It was a friend of mine. She’s had it for years from a relative but doesn’t have any info on it. I bought it from her. It is a belt. Very fine beading.
Yes, please let us know. The focus on this site is Native American jewelry not beadwork, so that’s probably why no one responded. Your best bet is to try Facebook sites as suggested.
I will say the “braiding” on the side and the beadwork look very much like a souvenir (not native made) belt I had as a kid, but mine did not have the buffalo nickels.
2 Likes