Macaw feather loose fan with beaded handle / George Aiken
Essay/Description
Southern Plains style peyote ceremonial loose macaw feather fan. Macaw feathers with light blue tips, rust colored base, yellow underside. Each feather quill has individual white buckskin wrapping and has a contrasting colored accent feather inserted in front- cut in teardrop shape. Each feather is trimmed to taper evenly to rounded tip. Quill sockets are each attached to a wood base wrapped in white buckskin, brass commercial threaded socket (from shotgun cleaning rod). Male half on feather side, female half on handle side, so that handle unscrews from feather half. Handle has brass socket attached to wood rod. Peyote stitch beadwork around handle, light blue background, other colors are green, brown, red, dusty pink, light green, black, yellow, orange, red-orange. Of these colors the following are "cut" beads: black, brown, and red. Design is symmetrical, there is a zig-zag element around the center, and a band design at each end. Fringe is made of white buckskin and is twisted and may be from commercial Indian supply.