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Niagara Beadwork Hat

Additional Title(s)
  • Iroquois Beaded Hat
ClassificationsCOSTUMES AND JEWELRY
Dateca. 1870
Mediumbeadwork on black cloth and velvet
Dimensions3 3/4 x 11 x 6 1/4 in. (9.5 x 27.9 x 15.9 cm.)
DescriptionIroquois Niagara beadwork hat; with floral pattern on top and sides, with thick green stems and flower in red, yellow, white, and blues, on black background, and edged in red velvet
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Jonathan and Karin Fielding
Label TextA product of the intersection of two cultures -- Native American and Victorian-era Euro-American -- this "Glengarry cap" from Niagara Falls, New York, decorated with intricate floral beadwork, was made by Iroquois women to be sold to tourists. The making and selling of such souvenirs -- including beaded purses, gloves, wallets, and belts -- was a means of economic survival for local indigenous peoples. The hat's popular "Niagara floral style" beadwork was designed to appeal to Victorian tastes, and its Glengarry style was derived from Scottish Highland dress, made familiar by military uniforms worn by British soldiers in Canada.
Status
On view
Object number2016.25.5
Scrimshaw Busk
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ca. 1825
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Scrimshaw Busk with Initials "LH"
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Elizabeth Austin Chamberlain
ca. 1810
Object number: 2014.23
Ring with Miniature Portrait
James Ferguson
1771
Object number: 96.22B
Scrimshaw Busk
E. Warren
n.d.
Object number: 2016.25.4
William Homes, Sr.
ca. 1743
Object number: 2000.25.63
Top Hat
Collins & Fairbanks Co.
ca. 1835
Object number: 2016.25.75
Geese in Flight Quilt
Unknown, American
ca. 1880-1890
Object number: L2018.3.5
Standing Woman in Wide Hat
William Hoare
n.d.
Object number: 68.28
Man in a Top Hat Leading a Crowd
Robert Henri
1907
Object number: 91.227
Writing desk
Martin Carlin
ca. 1770
Object number: 27.121
Photography © 2014 Fredrik Nilsen
Unknown, American
1755-1775
Object number: 91.288.3