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AntiqueCree Northern Woodlands Indian Beaded Wall Pocket, Circa 1860-90\'s
Thissmall antique beaded wall pocket was probably made for trade withWhite settlers in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Western Ontario, orManitoba. It was intended to hang on the wall to store a pocketwatch, comb or other small object. The pocket is beaded on red andblack English wool trade cloth. The fairly symmetrical floralbeadwork with flowers, leaves and stem on a tightly packed white beadbackground is pretty typical of Cree work from the 1800\'s. Thisbeadwork piece is in good condition with four to five multi-colored beadworkloops missing from the left side (see photos).
TheCree were originally located to the north and west of theOjibwe/Chippewa Peoples of the Upper Great Lakes from Hudson\'s Bay in Northwest Quebec down through Western Ontario toNorth Dakota and Manitoba. They were heavily involved in the furtrade of the 17th through the 19th centuries. French-Canadiantrappers and traders ventured far into Cree country, eventuallyintermarrying with the Cree so much that the mixed-blood Cree-Metis emerged with their own style of artwork and other elements oftheir material culture. With the introduction of the horse in NorthAmerica, the Sioux and some of the Cree moved out of the westernGreat Lakes and onto the Plains to pursue the buffalo. Thus werecreated the Plains Cree who, today, occupy reserves in Saskatchewan,Alberta, and north-central Montana, where they are known as theChippewa-Cree.
Inthe 1800\'s, the Hudson\'s Bay Co trading firm (founded 1670) continuedto maintain a vast network of trading posts across Canada whichtraded with the Native Peoples of the North and routinely sold theirarts and crafts through the network. It is more than likely that asmall beadwork item, such as this wall pocket made in a remote Indianvillage, entered this vast trading network and was sold to andappreciated by white newcomers.
Dimensions: 8\" overall high, 6½\" high (not including fringe &hanger), 3¼\" wide
Condition: Good. Trade cloth foundation is solid and undamaged. Beadwork isintact except for the loss of approximately five loops of multi-colored beads that form the left hand fringe. Also, one peaked area of white beads justabove the pocket opening needs retacking to the black background(none of the beads are missing/ see photos)
