Beaded Glengarry hat

Collections

Jonathan and Karin Fielding Collection

ClassificationsCOSTUMES AND JEWELRY

Dateca. 1870

Mediumglass beadwork on black cloth and velvet

Dimensions3 3/4 x 11 x 6 1/4 in. (9.5 x 27.9 x 15.9 cm.)

DescriptionHaudenosaunee (Iroquois) 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

Status

On view

Label TextA product of the intersection of two cultures—First Nations and Victorian-era Euro-American—this "Glengarry cap" decorated with intricate floral beadwork was made by Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) women to be sold to tourists in region around Niagra Falls, on the border of the United States and Canada. The making and selling of such souvenirs—including beaded purses, gloves, wallets, and belts—was a means of economic survival and expression for local Indigenous peoples. The hat's popular style of beadwork was designed to appeal to Victorian tastes, and its Glengarry cap form was derived from Scottish Highland dress, made familiar by military uniforms worn by British soldiers in Canada.

Object number2016.25.5