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Bead necklace with teeth / Native American; Plains

Essay/Description

Glass bead and elk tooth necklace. These glass beads were made in China and used for trade.

Plains Indians’ necklaces “were made of grass, seeds, shell beads, strings of fossil crinoids, animal claws, horns, antlers, and teeth, especially elk teeth” (Paterek 1994, 86). Trade beads were made and brought from Europe to trade with the Native Americans for gold, furs, and other precious materials. Many beads were made in Italy, often from glass. The Native Americans greatly valued these beads because the beads they made were arduously crafted one at a time and, therefore, were valuable and rare (Dubin 1999, 172). This is a reference image scanned from an older transparency.

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Title(s): 
Bead necklace with teeth
Culture: 
Native American; Plains
Date: 
19th century
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
Great Plains, United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
glass, cotton string, buffalo teeth
Dimensions: 
17 15/16 in. (45.6 cm)
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Accession No: 
84.142
Department: 
Not On View

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