Native American Beadwork

Self-adornment is important to many Native American tribes. Traditionally, Native Americans decorated garments with porcupine quills, feathers, animal hair and plant-based dyes. With the introduction of European trade, traditional hand drilled beads made from stone, bone and shell were soon replaced with glass beads in red, yellow, blue, and white. The visual enhancement of clothing and horse gear has remained a strong part of Native American culture to this day. Cisco’s collection of antique Native American beadwork includes moccasins, pipe bags, flat bags, bandolier bags, tipi bags, gauntlets, cradle boards, fetishes, martingales and more. Much of the collection is from the Great Plains and Plateau regions and dates to the late 19^th Century, early 20^th Century.