Early Pincushion, 7" x 11" x 3¾"

This large pincushion is made with very small beads. Under the upper flap are layers of cloth on which needles could be stored. It was probably made in the 1840s.

Early Purse, 7½" x 7¼"

This purse is similar to one collected by Lewis Henry Morgan in the 1840s. The floral designs on both sides are different. In Seneca it is called a GA YA AH.

Early Pincushions, 5" x 5", 4½" x 4½"

These small pincushions are similar to those pictured in Lewis Henry Morgans's League of the Iroquois published in 1851. Morgan collected them mainly from Seneca makers. In Seneca a pincushion like this is called YA WA O DA QUA.

Pincushion, 7½" x 7½"

This eight lobed pincushion is typical of the size and shape of the mid 19th century. A similar one is stuffed with a newspaper dated 1863. This piece is in especially nice shape for being 150 years old. It has a red cloth center, a floral motif in clear beads and a double outline in white beads.

Needlecase, 4½" x 2½"

This folding "wallet" includes a padded pincushion section where needles can be stored. This one was probably made by a Tuscarora beadworker around 1870. It has all clear beads on a burgundy colored velvet. It says "Present from Niagara Falls."

Pincushions, 7½" x 7", 4¼" x 4¾"

In case someone questions what these pincushions were for, they have the word SOUVENIR beaded on them. The date commemorates the occasion. These two were most likely made by Mohawk beadworkers.

Mohawk Bird, 5¾" x 5"

A love of nature was shared by both Iroquois and nonIndian Victorian women. Birds represented nature. Three-dimensional birds were first made during the 1890s and continue to be made today. The early ones often have a date beaded under the tail. In 1903 my grandparents, Elizabeth and Frederick Neidlinger, went to the Afton Fair and brought home a bird as a souvenir. It has the date beaded under its tail. The sellers probably traveled by train from the St. Lawrence Valley to the Susquehanna Valley to sell their artwork.

Tuscarora Bird, 4¾" x 3½"

Tuscarora birds differ from Mohawk birds because their wings are raised above their backs. A Mohawk bird's wings are lower. Both types of birds often carry one or two balls, usually red, hanging from their beaks. Sometimes a perch is suspended from their "legs" and sometimes more balls are attached to the perch. Some people say the balls represent cherries.

Canoes, lengths, top to bottom: 3½", 4½", 7"

Because canoes are North American inventions, they are identified with Indians. The earliest souvenir beaded canoes are from the 1890s. They often have words beaded on their sides. Commonly one side has FAST and the other has BOAT. Others have INDIAN and CANOE or CANADA and CANOE. They often have a beaded date also. The smallest one pictured has a little passenger dressed in "buckskins."

State Fair Hearts, left to right, 5", 6", 4"

Beadwork has been sold at the New York State Fair's Indian Village since its founding in the 1920s. These three Tuscarora pieces were made by (left to right) Ethel Zomont, Louise Henry or her mother Harriet Pembleton, and Mary Lou Printup. The one on the right I purchased when both the maker and I were teenagers and staying at the Fair. I stayed in the 4-H dorm which is adjacent to the Indian Village.

Pincushion, 8½" x 10½"

Purple pincushions usually feature one or more beaded birds on a purple velvet background. Often floral motifs are incorporated into the design. Leaves encircle the central area. The clear bead leaves are often highlighted with pink, blue, green, and yellow beads. Purple pincushions are usually, but not always, rectangular. Although purple velvet is most commonly used, brown, green, red, or blue velvet is sometimes substituted. The birds and the outside fringe are almost always made of clear beads. Raised beadworking is the preferred technique. Like most of the Iroquois pin cushions, the front is velvet or wool while polished cotton is the preferred material on the back. They are commonly stuffed with sawdust, cotton, or cattail fluff.

Heart Pincushions, various, 3" to 5½"

Iroquois became familiar with the heart shape from the 17th century Jesuit rings. By the early 19th century they were making heart shaped pincushions which remains a favorite shape today. Note the cut tubular beads are used in all but the heart dated 1929. Most all of the older hearts feature two leaves on the widest part of the heart.

Trilobe Heart Pincushions, various, 4¼" to 8"

Trilobe hearts are often called arrowhead pincushions. Like hearts they often have beaded leaves across the top edge. The largest of all Iroquois pincushions are trilobe hearts.

Star Pincushion, 5" x 5"

There is a wide variety of star-shaped pincushions. This one with a delicate design probably dates to the 1920s or 1930s.

Large Trilobe Heart, 13" x 11½"

This very large pincushion has hot pink cloth and several large clumps of raised beads. It has a cord and was meant to hang on a wall. It is probably Mohawk.

Rooster Pincushion, 9" x 9"

Although most late 19th century pincushions feature generic birds, this one features a rooster. Early 20th century Mohawk pieces portray a variety of animals such as rabbits, beavers, ducks, cats, dogs, or sometimes more exotic animals like a hippopotamus.

Motto Pincushions, (left to right) 2¾", 6½", 3½"

Some pincushions carry small beaded messages. Perhaps the cushions were gifts for loved ones. Besides these pictured are MY HONEY, DEAR MOTHER, THINK OF ME. A picture frame says TAKE ME DEAR. Perhaps romantic mottoes were inspired by the Niagara Falls reputation as a destination for honeymooners.

Place Names, 5½" x 6½"

Pincushions often carry names of places where they were sold like Niagara Falls, State Fair, Montreal, and Toronto. With some 60,000 visitors a year to Niagara Falls by 1850, its name is most common.

Symmetry, 8½½" x 8½"

This pincushion, my favorite, features three rosettes and three birds encircling the center field of blue. FROM NIAGARA FALLS provides the orientation.

Oops, 8½" x 8½"

This beadworker had trouble fitting TORONTO on after she applied EXHIBITION SOUVENIR 1928. Sometimes pincushion makers hired others to bead on the messages.

Pink Boot, 8½" x 6"

Beadwork in the shape of boots and shoes have been made for over a century. They are made to hang on the wall. A large boot like this one has a pocket in the top. Was it meant to hold a comb, shears, hat pins, or what? This gaudy piece has hot pink cloth with green, blue, red, yellow, and pink beads.

Gold Boot, 9½" x 6½"

This large pre WWI boot is covered with gold beads sewn in the form of birds and flowers. Gold and pastel colored beads flow from flower centers.

Shoes, both about 4" x 5½"

Two sixty year old shoes show the post WWI simple style. The one on the left features a squirrel and the more common bird decorates the one on the right.

Slipper, 8¼" x 4½"

The function of a slipper shaped wall pocket is not fully understood. Some people think they hung on a Victorian bedroom wall to hold combs and brushes.

Strawberries, 2" to 3" long

Strawberries are the most important fruit to the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and are a favorite fruit to others as well. The earliest beaded strawberries, which may date back to the mid 19th century, are filled with emery for sharpening needles.

Double Picture Frame, 8¾" x 9¼"

This large double picture frame features purple velvet and leaves that indicate that it was made by someone who also made purple pincushions.

Large Picture Frame, 11" x 7 ½"

This picture frame features shiny sequins and massive clumps of beads that characterize Mohawk beadwork at the turn of the century. The two tone (salt and pepper) technique where every other bead is darker than the alternate is also characteristic of Mohawk beadwork.

Tuscarora Picture Frame, 10" x 10"

This 1991 frame includes a picture of its maker, master Tuscarora beadworker, Mary Lou Printup.

Horseshoes, 6" x 5½", 7" x 5¾"

GOOD LUCK horseshoes have been made since the 1890's. Note how similar the 1899 piece is to the one that incorporates a picture frame one hundred years later.

Good Luck Picture Frame, 8½" x 7½"

Six Sided Urn, 7" tall

Urns were probably a Mohawk invention because they are usually outlined by white beads, a Mohawk convention. One of the six panels features a goat. Other panels have birds and stylized flowers. This piece is missing the hangers from which it was suspended and the balls that hung from each point. What the urn was meant to contain must have been lightweight.

Watch holders, 8" x 4¼", 6½" x 5"

Pocket watches became wall clocks (wall watches) when placed in these wall hangings. The piece on the left with a red cloth background is probably mid 19th century where the other one is 50 years later.

Match holder, 8" x 6"

Match holders are wall hangers with two pockets. New stick matches were stored in one pocket and used ones were put in the other. Match holders probably hung on the wall near kerosene lamps. Their designs are very striking with lots of cut tubular beads and sequins. They must have sparkled in the lamp light. They often have dates along the bottom. Words on them include MATCH, BOX, or a place name.

Whisk Broom Holder, 7" x 6½"

Whisk broom holders are similar to match holders except they have a band across the front instead of two pockets. This one with CAUGHNAWAGA ( a Canadian Mohawk reserve currently called Kahnawake) and the date 1930 came with a matching horsehair whisk broom.

Banjo Wall Hanging, 8½" x 15½"

This very large piece is unique. Its function is unknown.

Purse, 3¼" x 5"

Purses were sold to tourists at Niagara Falls as early as the 1870s. Several Barker photos from that decade show Victorian women buying purses from Indian beadworkers. A purse in the Seneca National Museum has beaded on it, CATTARAUGUS RESERVATION 1874. Seneca flat purses are the earliest pieces to carry dates; one is dated 1830.

Box Purse, 5" x 6½"

This fine large purse may have been made by an Onondaga beadworker. A note inside said it was made by "Pauline Neidrow of the Onondaga tribe Syracuse NY about 1900." It shares characteristics with Mohawk pieces like the white bead edging and salt and pepper motif but it is otherwise very different.

Four-sided Container, 3" x 5" x 6½" wide

This four paneled piece features WATONKEE 1899 beaded on opposite sides. The gold beads indicate that it is Mohawk and its age is definite but the word has not yet been identified. It has hangers but its function is unknown.

Boxes, 5" x 4"

These turn-of-the-century box purses are probably Mohawk. The 1905 piece is done all in green beads while the 1897 one is in all gold beads. Purses with BOX on the lid are still being made.

Iroquois Purse, 6¾" x 7¼"

These purses, modeled after the flat Scottish bags often worn with kilts, incorporate identical designs on both sides. They are often made on a black velvet background using beads of two shades of pink, blue, green, yellow, and white. Glengarry caps and moccasins are beaded in a similar manner. These may have been worn by Iroquois people as well as sold to collectors.

Iroquois Purses, 7" x 6¾", 6" x 5¾"

Almost all of these 19th Century purses share the motif of double or triple white bead outlines on their flaps and bodies. And, although, their floral motifs are similar, I have never seen two identical purses out of the hundreds that I have seen. They were probably made in Mohawk communities in the St. Lawrence River Valley near Montreal.

Fist Purse, 3½" x 5½"

Some purses have a red, blue, purple, or green background cloth covered with a floral design of all clear beads highlighted by silver cut tubular beads. Sometimes a bird is incorporated into the design.

Bag, 7½" x 7½"

Although these bags are often the same size and shape as the Iroquois flat purses, they do not have a dark background or multicolored beads. They use predominately transparent cut tubular beads on a light background. Like the other flat purses they are made in two basic sizes: large ones about 6" by 7" and small ones about 3" by 4".

Red Purse, 4" x 4"

This purse has red cloth with a floral design of clear beads and white outline beads. It is probably a mid 19th century Seneca piece. Note the double white bead outline that appears on both purses and pincushions in the 19th century.