Beaded Moccasins, Sioux

Beaded Moccasins, Sioux

Beaded moccasins. Bison rawhide soles; buckskin uppers. Lazy stitch beadwork in glass beads: light blue, red, white, green, orange, clear yellow, and dull pink. Design pattern: 9 triangular elements in red, white, and dark blue beads on a field of blue (2 horizontal lazy stitches wide) evenly spaced around edge of shoe. Around back of moccasin is a dark blue band (3 lazy stitches wide) with geometric designs (red, white, green, light blue). Above this is a band (1 lazy stitch wide) in blue and alternating orange and clear yellow beads. On top of the shoe is a geometric design (8 vertical lazy stitches wide) in white, red, pink, dark blue, and light blue on a field of blue. The tongue or flap hangs over moccasin about 4 1/2 inches long. It splits in two at the bottom. Beadwork on flap is a geometric design (red, white, dark blue); on edges of flap is alternating beadwork in red and light blue. Thread is sinew. All walls and flap are white deer skin. A string of deer skin is used to tie shoe. Moccasins were worn but not many times. The left moccasin has a hole, one inch long, at tip of moccasin where sinew thread has broken, causing shoe and sole to separate.
  • Object: Beaded Moccasins, Sioux
  • Artist: Unknown
  • Circa: 1890-1910
  • Dimensions: Left: 11 1/4" x 4 1/2" Right: 11 1/4" x 4 3/4"
  • Culture Area: Plains
  • Cultural Group: Sioux (West or Central)
  • Cultural Context: The design on the flap may represent buffalo tracks.
  • Donor: John Dennison
  • Catalog #: 97.014