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Men’s leather moccasins with full beaded cuff / Unknown

Essay/Description

Men’s leather moccasins with full beaded cuff. The cuffs are beaded with a floral pattern on the outside cuff of the shoe and a geometric pattern on the inside cuff of the shoe. The cuffs are bordered with red silk ribbon. Furthermore, the beads were completed with a spot stitch.

In the Northeastern tribes, men and women would wear moccasins or boots made from animals’ hocks, or hind legs. The footwear was sometimes decorated with quillwork or embroidery. Floral and nature-inspired patterns were the most frequently used (Paterek 1994, 42-43).

Curatorial Remarks

Both cuffs of each moccasin have different geometric designs. The beaded cuffs look Prairie, but the pucker toe is more Southeastern. Prairie people would have put a vamp on the moccasins rather than a pucker toe. These were made for personal use.

Tags: soft sole, geometric designs, beadwork, leather ties
Places: possibly Oklahoma
Purpose: domestic use

From interviews with Dr. Garrick Bailey, 2018-2020 University of Tulsa, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology

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Title(s): 
Men’s leather moccasins with full beaded cuff
Creator(s): 
Unknown
Culture: 
Native American; Prairie
Date: 
late 19th century - early 20th century
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
hide, glass, silk, cotton
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Accession No: 
84.277a-b
Department: 
Not On View

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