Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Americas: American Indian: Handiwork (1)

This impressive boxlike purse was hand beaded and constructed as a souvenir by a member of the Iroquois nation at the turn of the century. The beadwork — all of it intact — tells the story: the maker beaded the words and numerals ‘Box,’ ‘Montreal’ and ‘1907’ on the top, front and back. There are sunburst-like designs on each side, and the handle is made of two twisted strands of clear beads; three groups of looped strands dangle from the bottom. The silk background material exhibits minor wear and spotting mostly on the sides; the blue glazed linen interior a little more so. The top also shows a gap when closed, and some metal sequins are slightly cracked. The entire purse is well constructed and sturdy, with the cotton stitching still tight and all pieces securely attached. The purse measures about 5 1/4 inches long at the bottom, about 3 1/4 inches high and about 3 1/4 inches deep at the sides.