Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-24
BEAD CHAINS AND BELTS.
Handiwork Of Indian Women Growing
in Favor.

IN Favor.
From the New York Tribune.
Chains and belts of Indian beadwork are
one OF the seasons fads. Beadwork is al
most like her mother tongue to the Indian
girl In all, or nearly all, the Indian tribes
of North America the squaws do beautiful
beadwork, reproducing in this unyielding
material the bold motifs and gorgeous col
orings which the paleface admires in the
Navajo blanket The Indian girl uses beads
as If they were wax. Out Of this hard, in
flexible material she fashions the oldest.
loveliest things to wear. And the daugh-
ter of the palefaces has seen these marvels
and fallen in love with them. She hangs
them around her neck. ties them about her
waist, fastens them on her hat. And SO in
tent is she on doing it that she will gladly
pay WOO for chain no more than one
quarter OF an inch wide and s. for belt.
A New York firm that makes "a specially
of Indian goods says that bead belts will
be worn with light summer dresses next
season, while the bead hat bands have al
ready proved their right to live on sailor
and outing hats where a bit Of bright
color is desired. This beadwork is woven
the threads being attached to. a reel or
wooden frame to hold them taut, and from
that point woven by hand or with the aid
of simple hook. The beads are strung
on the threads before the weaving process
begins at all. In fine work the threads are
invisible.
Bead chains are generally flexible, fiat
and about one-third of an inch wide, al
though some chains are seen that are
round and about the thickness of a common
lead pencil These latter, however are stiff
and Wiry, and lack the graceful droop of
the fiat chain. Among the color combina-
tons that have evidently appealed to the
Indian Weavers as excellent are pale yell
low and gold, apple green and white. tur-
quolse and white, old rose and gold, yellow
and brown, and purple, yellow and white.
one necklace is piece of beadwork about
one men broad the two ends of which are
brought together in front to form a broad
stoleiike piece. A belt Of turquoise beads
is decorated with large maple leaves In
maroon and purple alternating A splendid
deslgn IN small blocks is worked out in
CRIMSON white and green, while a COR
geous creation in pale yellow has a large
pattern in diamonds developed in turouoise
Nile green and white, with a dash of
carmine.
Many women buy these exotic blooms for
household decoration, not to wear. AS ar
tistic properties, to hang from a chande-
lier drape over one corner of a picture
frame or illumine a dark niche thew ara
perfection. They are like Venetian baaIs
these Indian belts and chains In that tIav
90 either to trim up a room or persnn
one is not always in the mood for a note
OF extravaganza of this sort Perhans II
does not accord with ones gown or the 90
caSon. Then one can hane, # IN ~ -
wall. H VA 1iie
lhulan oeadWork is exceedingly strong 1t
would require violent wrench to break a
chaln, fragile and light in appearance as
the latter may be- d"
The popularity of Indian beadwork "a
but one indication Of the growth in apnre.
cation citation OF and Interest In the Indian. The
ts p values Of the Navajo blanket.
the Puma basket and the Pueblo yasa 49,,
oeen grasped, but women have been slow
10 see anything attractive in the earn,ants
Or ornaments .h Of the Indian squaw. Now
however, the New Yorker has found NV,
the beauty of the Indian beadWor. ous
Manhattan and the red woman Of the
mon. LII COM