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Polyester Gabardine peyote shawl half in blue and half in red / Unknown

Essay/Description

Polyester Gabardine fabric peyote shawl, half navy and half red pieced down the vertical center with red zig-zag stitches on navy fabric and navy stitches on red fabric. Silver lame fabric peyote (water, morning or messenger) bird appliqued across pieced seam near top of shawl when folded in half. Below is appliqued tipi, half red and half blue. Entire shawl border stitched in contrasting thread. Blue panel has water bird in red appliqued at diagonal in corner. Red panel has blue bird appliqued diagonally in bottom corner. Entire red panel has red knotted fringe around perimeter, and the blue panel has blue fringe.

Curatorial Remarks

This shawl likely was worn by a woman. The red and blue colors symbolize day (red) and night (blue), or fire (red) and water (blue).

Tags: shawl, peyotism, tipi, waterbird, Anhinga
People: Native American
Places: Oklahoma
Purpose: peyote meeting, ceremonial events

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

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Title(s): 
Polyester Gabardine peyote shawl half in blue and half in red
Creator(s): 
Unknown
Culture: 
Native American; Southern Plains, Western Oklahoma
Date: 
1997
Materials/Techniques: 
polyester, nylon, metallic thread
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Credit Line: 
Purchased with funds provided by the Frankie Van Johnson Fund
Accession No: 
99.258
Previous Number(s): 
TL1998.11.1
Department: 
Not On View

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