Pouch And Belt

A beaded bandolier pouch and belt collected from the Missouri River Valley. Formerly part of the U.S. Department of War collections. Possibly Sioux. Made of wool and lined with printed cotton, this bag also features applique-stitch beadwork in a series of designs, including nested triangles, abstract floral figures, and plantlike designs.

Entered in the orginal ledger catalog as from the War Department with the location given as Missouri R. Valley. A later Smithsonian tag identifies this bandolier bag as Sioux. Ted Brasser has identified it as of Southeastern origin. The bag is 8.5" square, without strap.

Illustrated on magazine cover to accompany article Greene, Candace S., Bonnie Richard and Kirsten Thompson, 2007, "Treaty Councils and Indian Delegations: The War Department Museum Collection," American Indian Art Magazine, 33(1):66-80. Caption on p. 3 magazine identifies this as "Bandolier pouch of wool with silk (?) edging and cotton print lining. The applique-stitch beadwork offers a complex series of designs, with nested triangles on the body of the bag, abstract floral figures on the flap, and different plantlike designs on each half of the strap. 8 1/2" square without strap (21.6 cm).