Containers and purses are made with the same technique as the wall hangings: stretching cloth over a cardboard base. They come in many sizes and shapes. Urns are the largest at seven inches tall, while two and a half inch cup forms are the smallest. Many have fringe on them, so they were meant to hang. Purses range in size from the large box forms to small round flat purses.
The urns come in four-, five-, and six-sided versions. Long beaded strings at the intersections make it possible to hang the urns. They usually have little balls hanging at the intersections of each of the sides, but some have clumps of loops. The balls are like the ones that hang from birds. The first urns were made in the 1920s. Some are dated. Very few have words on them. Some have US flags. They often have birds, animals, and the Mohawk star on them.
Some urn shapes are shorter and were used in churches as collection boxes. They sometimes have Christian symbols beaded on them and date to the late 19th century. They usually were not meant to hang. They are often four sided. Some have beaded angels with wings made like the birds’ wings on the purple pillow pincushions.
The purpose of the small round cups is unknown, but they were meant to hang. They are covered with red or blue fabric and have only clear beads. A variation of the round cups flair out like a funnel.
Purses come in many shapes. The largest are the boxes that often have BOX beaded on the top lid. Boxes often have a date on one side and an animal or creative design on the other. Many animals are pictured on boxes; they include geese, grouse, foxes, cats, rabbits, elephants, non-specific birds, beavers, otter, dogs, and deer. Most of these boxes are made by Mohawk beadworkers. The most common box purses are covered, at least on their long sides, by purple velvet. Often the short ends have red or blue fabric. The lid is a flat rectangle.
On the next page is a red box that has intricate white beadwork and may have been made by an Onondaga beadworker. There is a note inside of it that says it was made by, “Pauline Neidrow of the Onondaga tribe Syracuse NY about 1900.” The similarity with Mohawk beadwork may reflect the communication between Onondaga and Akwesasne.
Fancy purses are a favorite souvenir form. They are made in several shapes. The flat pentagonal purses sometimes have unusual beadwork, such as the 1936 purse with the Indian profile and the one with Mickey Mouse which was made about 1980. The round flat purses have been made since the mid 1800s. The red ones are the oldest and may be Seneca. They often have a double white beaded outline.
The fist purses are the most common. They are shown in many old photographs with their Victorian owners. George Barker photographs from the 1860s show Victorian women buying fist purses from their makers on Goat Island at Niagara Falls. The fabric on the majority of the fist purses are pink, blue, red, or purple with clear beads. Written on the inside of one little red purse is: “1887 to Fannie Scott From Nancy Scott.” Niagara fist purses rarely have dates beaded on them so photographs and inscriptions help to date them. The often have FROM NIAGARA FALLS beaded on them.
Mohawk fist purses often have dates and sometimes place names. They have masses of beaded loops like other Mohawk beadwork.
Card holders (see page 25) are small finely beaded trifolds used carry a calling card or mirror. They are relatively rare.
Old purses usually have hook and eye closures or snaps, and some recent ones have Velcro.
Three sided pinch purses have been made since the mid 1800s and originally may have been made in the Niagara area. Three-sided Christmas tree ornaments are an adaptation of this form.
The basic types of containers are: