Needle case/pincushion with strawberry flower design

Date2003

Artist Lorna Hill (Cayuga, 1937 - 2012)

CultureCayuga

MediumRed, green, white, orange, and clear beads on red velvet with red cloth border, interior of patterned cloth with strawberry flowers

DimensionsOverall: 9 x 6 x 1 1/4 in. (22.9 x 15.2 x 3.2 cm)

Credit LineGift from the Edward J. Guarino Collection in memory of Mauricette (Sue) Casile

On View

Not on view

Period21st c

Classification(s)

Vassar Exhibitions

My Grandmother's Whispers: Indigenous Prints and Beadwork

Label TextThe Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a group of six Iroquoian-speaking tribes originating in the New York area—the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, the Seneca, and the Tuscarora. For centuries, beading has been foundational to Haudenosaunee culture, passed down through generations of women. Beaded patterns and motifs expressed political values, familial associations, and contemporaneous cultural or historical events. Traditionally, beads were crafted from shells, porcupine quills, quartz, bone, and copper. As early as the 16th century, the Haudenosaunee traded fur to colonizers in exchange for imported goods, including glass beads. Women of all ages gathered in each other’s homes to bead, accompanied by tea and storytelling. The communal nature of beading built incorruptible connections among generations of Haudenosaunee women. The introduction of imported glass beads fundamentally transformed Haudenosaunee beadwork. Additionally, the growing souvenir trade pushed Haudenosaunee women to tailor their designs to Victorian tastes. Such changes are evident in this beaded pouch, created by an unknown artist who incorporated a fashionable Victorian botanical motif. The beaded loops adorning the pouch are characteristic of the souvenir era, referencing the lace and frills enjoyed by wealthy white buyers. In Lorna Hill’s contemporary needle case/pincushion, the same decorative loops are employed, paired with the traditional Cayuga strawberry motif, demonstrating the incorporation of 19th-century souvenir production into the modern tradition of Haudenosaunee beadwork.

Terms

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu