Item 1986.19.1 - [T-style dress constructed of two pieces of woven red fabric]

• Object

2 images

skin; fibre, cotton; fibre, wool; glass; wood; ceramic?

Technique: tanned; sewn; beaded

Cataloguer Comments: Culture: Northern Plains?; Niitsitapi (Blackfoot)? Research Notes: This dress is listed on a 1962 Inventory of Maisie Hurley's collection as: "an Inland Indian ceremonial dress over 100 years old." Alan Bowen of Bowen and Associates Museum and Estate Appraisers examined the dress in 1999 and described it as a: "Beaded Plains Dress" noting "I believe this to be a costume made of a combination of old and newer materials. C1930s." A photograph of the dress was later sent to Dr. Gerald Conaty, Senior Ethnology Curator at the Glenbow Museum, in 2003, and he noted: "There is nothing about this dress that distinguishes it as being from any particular First Nations culture. The two beaded circles at the bottom may be Blackfoot (Niitsitapi) derived."

T-style dress constructed of two pieces of woven red fabric. Arms of dress are not formed from separate pieces; arm seams are left open on the underside. Dress is edged entirely along outer edges and at seams in fringed doe-skin. Body of the dress decorated with glass beads and a small cradleboard with doll attached to one side. Ribbons of green fabric create horizontal bands across skirt portion and trim ends of both sleeves.

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