Beadwork and Wood
Marcy Burns American Indian Arts carries objects made out of hide or cloth, embellished with quill, moosehair, paint and/or beads. These items include clothing and objects made for the Indians' own use and in the Reservation Period, objects also made for trade.
Many of these items are from the Plains tribes, both Northern and Southern Plains. In addition, Marcy Burns American Indian Arts carries Woodlands and Great Lakes Indian beaded items.
Our focus is on items from the 19th century. With regard to Plains tribes, the Reservation Period is generally considered to begin in the 1880s and to continue to the early 20th century. We carry Plains Indian obejcts that are from the pre-Reservation and Reservation Periods. In the case of Woodlands material, generally our inventory focuses on mid-19th century.
Please feel free to contact us if you are searching for items from a particular culture or tribe.
brain-tanned hide
17” high; shoe length 10”
1/16” seed beads (red, white, blue, orange and silver metallic)
excellent condition (reflects previous wear)
circa 1890s-1920s
ex: Private Collection
$1500.
(mc2288)
hide (moose??)
1/16 seed beads (red, dark blue, light blue, metallic beads
circa 21” long x 17” wide
circa 1890s-1920s
ex: Private Collection
$2900.
(mc2287)
7 1/4” wide x 6 1/2” high
painted red, yellow, green, blue. Sewn together with leather cord
circa 1900-1920s
ex: Private Collection
$625.
(mc2274)
made out of yucca, dyed yucca (yellow is from the yucca), hide, old trade cloth and old string
14” at the widest place x 29 3/4” long
excellent condition
circa 1900
ex: Private Collection
$850.
(mc2273)
The Apache were a mobile culture. An Apache woman carried her baby in a cradleboard such as this, securing it to her back with a trump line or perhaps restiing the cradleboard against a tree when she rested or worked. This cradleboard is full-sized. It has survived the years in excellent condition.
circa 5” long
1/16” seed beads: white, red, dark green, black and a single light blue bead on the sole of one moccasin.
Bottoms of moccasins are beaded
excellent condition with a few few beads missing
ex: Private Collection
circa 1870-1890s
Plains moccasins with beaded bottoms were often referred to as burial moccasins but they were in fact very often worn during ceremonies. This pair was clearly collected early as they show little wear.
$1100.
(bd0247)
circa 4” long
hide appears to be buffalo. Remnants of fur visible.
hide is supple with a little stiffness in the back and sides of the cuff
sinew sewn
hard soles
1/16” seed beads: white, white-heart red, dark blue, light blue, greasy green
excellent condition
ex: Private Collection
circa 1870s (judged by the style and the size and types of the beads)
These moccasins are the same style as they would be if they are adult-sized. They have survived the years in terrific condition and are a very rare find in today’s marketplace.
$975.
(BD0246)
6” long (including tin dangles) x 4 3/4” wide at widest place
hide, glass beads, tin cones
circa 1880s-1890s
excellent condition
ex: Private Collection
SOLD
22” long x 6” wide at widest spot
excellent condition
circa 1880-1890s
ex: Private Collection
SOLD
(bd0241)
10” long x 3 3/4” at widest place
hide, glass seed beads including whitehearts, indigo, and black as well as small white pony beads.
excellent condition
circa 1880-1890s
ex: Private Collection
$850.
(bd0242)
10” long x 3 3/4” wide at widest diameter
excellent condition (one spot of what looks like red paint above the central blue band)
circa 1900-1920s?
ex: Private Collection
SOLD
(bd0243)
12" wide x 20" long
circa 1890-1900
excellent condition
ex: Morningstar Gallery, Santa Fe; Private Collection, purchased from Morningstar Gallery in 1987
$1450.
(mc1931)
One side of this bag includes beaded image of a thunderbird
glass and metallic seed beads, dyed quills
excellent condition (very minor repair to a few of the dangles)
circa 1911-1920
SOLD
(mc2213b)
This ceremonial spoon is beautifully and deeply carved. It has multiple totemic figures carved on its handle, which is joined with 2 copper nails to the bowl of the spoon. The spoon is joined by wire to a plexi custom made stand:
Mountain goat horn
circa 9 7/8” long
excellent condition with a very slight scrape to one edge of the bottom of the spoon
ex: Fred and Mimi Boschan Collection (purchased privately); Marcy Burns Collection, 1988
The images on this spoon represent figures who are well known to students of Historic Northwest Coast art. A spoon such as this was probably meant to be used in a potlatch ceremony.
$3500.
(M88.1)