Plateau, Columbia River region
1920s
Glass beads on hide with cloth backing
Height 14 in. (35.6 cm), width 12½ in. (31.8 cm)
Provenance: Favell Museum, Klamath Falls, OR, with museum tag
Plateau beaded bags of this type were produced in the early twentieth century by skilled women beaders working in the lane stitch technique on hide or cloth backing, with fully beaded front panels displaying complex multicolor imagery. This example features a central American eagle with shield, arrows, and olive branch — a motif adopted widely by Plateau beaders in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a form of engagement with American national symbolism. The eagle is flanked by large gold floral elements and framed above by three beaded stars in blue and lavender against a white ground.
The beadwork covers the entire front surface in tightly packed lanes, with naturalistic color modeling in the floral forms and precise outlining throughout, reflecting the high technical standard of Columbia Plateau beadwork from this period. The incorporation of patriotic American imagery into Plateau beadwork was common during this era and is understood by scholars as a complex cultural negotiation rather than simple assimilation. The museum tag from the Favell Museum in Klamath Falls, Oregon — a significant institution in the collection of western and Native American art — adds documentary value to the piece.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Plateau, Columbia River region
1920s
Glass beads on hide with cloth backing
Height 14 in. (35.6 cm), width 12½ in. (31.8 cm)
Provenance: Favell Museum, Klamath Falls, OR, with museum tag
Plateau beaded bags of this type were produced in the early twentieth century by skilled women beaders working in the lane stitch technique on hide or cloth backing, with fully beaded front panels displaying complex multicolor imagery. This example features a central American eagle with shield, arrows, and olive branch — a motif adopted widely by Plateau beaders in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a form of engagement with American national symbolism. The eagle is flanked by large gold floral elements and framed above by three beaded stars in blue and lavender against a white ground.
The beadwork covers the entire front surface in tightly packed lanes, with naturalistic color modeling in the floral forms and precise outlining throughout, reflecting the high technical standard of Columbia Plateau beadwork from this period. The incorporation of patriotic American imagery into Plateau beadwork was common during this era and is understood by scholars as a complex cultural negotiation rather than simple assimilation. The museum tag from the Favell Museum in Klamath Falls, Oregon — a significant institution in the collection of western and Native American art — adds documentary value to the piece.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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