Made of Thunder, Made of Glass: American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast
In the early 1800s, native women of northeastern North America created a new art form: delicate, intricately beaded hats, purses and other whimsical objects. This "tourist" or "souvenir" art, as it's come to be called, played a crucial role in the subsistence of many Indian families during the nineteenth century. The beadworkers came from diverse cultures and regions – the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) of New York State and Canada, the Wabanakis of New England and the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada. Gifted with a refined sense of design, and sharing a passion for beadworking, they executed a profusion of bright, bold mosaics that included floral, figural, geometric, double curve, and sun symbol motifs. In addition to exploring the historical development of beadwork as an art form and as a subsistence practice for native women, the “Made of Thunder” exhibit looks at beadworking within the context of art, fashion and the tourist economy of the nineteenth century.
The "Made of Thunder" exhibit at Memorial Hall Museum in 2007
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The first Europeans to set their sights on the New World were confronted with a people whose traditions and way of life were so different that, in retrospect, it seems inevitable their cultures would clash. From the time of first contact, and largely through the work of well meaning missionaries, a slow process of acculturation began to undermine the spiritual foundations of the Northeast woodland people. Conflicts from King Philip's War to the American Revolution would facilitate the work of the missions, destroying not only the Indians' ancestral ties to the land, but their economic base as well, forever altering the lives and arts of these indigenous people.
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The end of the Revolutionary War saw the beginning of two other revolutions that would also impact the lives and arts of the tribes from the Northeast. The first, tourism, was taking root as early as the 18th century. Americans, Canadians and Europeans too, intrigued by reports of picturesque spots such as Niagara Falls, the natural springs of Saratoga, the beauty and natural setting of Lake George and the coastal resort areas from Nova Scotia to New Jersey, were traveling to see these sights firsthand. Meanwhile, a second revolution was taking place in the fashion world of Paris. The preceding era's voluminous skirts evolved into a new thin and sheer style of women's dress. The revealing styles of the early nineteenth century made it more difficult to conceal pockets under a dress so this gave rise to the handbag as a major fashion accessory. A new bag had come into vogue, the stylish beaded reticule. It could be worn outside the skirt, and quickly became an essential article of women's attire.
The "Made of Thunder" exhibit at the Abbe Museum in 2006
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Indian women, wisely assessing the needs and ideas of the encroaching white population, found subsistence in increasingly difficult times by adapting their traditional skills, and by selling and trading their arts and crafts to suit the new tourist market. This early material has a spiritual quality about it that is akin to fine art. On the surface, these pieces were the canvas upon which an Indian artist displayed her technical skills and artistic vision. But below the surface, the power inherent in a beautiful object was a central feature of life. Festive dress was a language through which many an artist expressed her deepest beliefs about the universe. We may never know the full extent of their meanings, but imbedded within the designs are stories of her people told in symbols and motifs that spoke of a sacred relationship to the natural world. Many such stories are lost now, but the art survives as a legacy testifying to the inventiveness and sense of beauty of an erstwhile people.
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Gerry Biron, an artist of Mi’kmaq ancestry, is also an author, collector and independent researcher. To put this work in perspective, he has painted a collection of portraits of historic Northeastern Native people wearing some of the same objects that appear in the exhibition. Gerry’s portraits are one way that he seeks to reconnect viewers with the work created by many historic Native artists. Supporting material for the exhibit includes a rare selection of historical nineteenth century images of both Native and non-Native people wearing examples of this beadwork.
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Gerry is also available to lecture on this topic. His presentation is a comprehensive survey of the “souvenir” purses that were made by these women during the 19th century. Regarded by many as some of the finest representations of American Indian art, the creators of this work came from diverse cultures and regions – the Haudenosaunee of New York State and Canada and the Wabanaki of northern New England and the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada. Gerry’s presentation focuses on the influences that led to the development of these beautiful items. History and art will merge in a discussion that promises to give greater meaning to this extraordinary form of art. In addition to exploring the historical development of beadworking as an art form and as a subsistence practice for Native women, the presentation will look at beadworking within the context of art, fashion and the tourist economy of the nineteenth century. He can be reached at suki@vermontel.net
Exhibit Catalog Available
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Made of Thunder, Made of Glass: American Indian Beadwork of the Northeast
by Gerry Biron
Paperback, 50 pp, 44 color plates and 26 black & white images - over 100 northeast woodland beaded bags and hats displayed in full color plus a dozen rare 19th century photographs of people wearing Iroquois beaded bags and hats. The book contains a 17 page essay detailing the influence of tourism and fashion on the production of early 19th century “Souvenir Beadwork” at Niagara Falls. An essential aid in the identification of styles and for dating 19th century northeast woodland beadwork, with an emphasis on beaded bags. This is the catalog for the ongoing exhibit by the same name which was on display at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine in 2006, at the Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts in 2007 and the Mt. Kearsarge Museum in Warner, NH, opening May 1 through November 30, 2008.
$24 which includes media mail shipping in the USA (shipping outside USA would be slightly more)
to order a copy call: 802-869-2077
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Email: JoAnne@joannerusso.com Copyright: JoAnne Russo 2007
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