The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-09
BEAD CHAINS AND BELTS.
Handiwork Of Indian Women Growing
in Favor.

IN Favor.
Chains and belts of Indian beadwork
are one of the seasons fads. Bead
work is almost like her mother tongue
to the Indian girl. In all, or nearly all,
the Indian tribes of North America
the squaws do beautiful beadwork re-
producing in this unyielding material
the bold motifs and gorgeous colorings
which the paleface adnires in the
Navajo blanket. The Indian girl uses
beads as if they were wax Out of this
hard, flexible material she fashions the
oldest, loveliest things to wear. And
the daughter of the paleface has seen
these nlarVels and fallen in love with
them. She hangs them around her
neck, ties them about her waist, fastens
them on her hat. And 50 intent is he
on doing it that she will gladly pay
$3.50 for chain no more than one
quarter of an inch wide and S. for a
belt
A New York firm that makes a spe-
cialty of Indian goods says that bead
belts will be worn with light summer
dresses next season, while the bead hat
bands have already proved their right
to live on sailor and outing hats, where
a bit of bright color is desired. This
beadwork is woven, the thread being
attached to a reel or wooden frame to
hold them taut, and from that point
woven by hand or with the aid of a
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 although some chains are seen
that are round and about the thickness
of common lead pencil. These latter,
however, are stiff and wiry, and lack
the graceful droop Of the fiat chain.
Among the color combinations that
have evidently appealed to the Indian
weavers as excellent are pale yellow
and gold, apple green and white, tur-
quoise and white. old rose and gold,
yellow and brown, and purple, yellow
and white
One necklace is piece of beadwork
about one inch broad, the two ends of
which are brought together in front to
form alb road stolelille piece. A belt
of turquoise beads is decorated with
large maple leaves in maroon and pur-
pie alternating. A splendid design in
small blocks is worked out in crimson,
white and green, while a gorgeous Gre
alton in pale yellow has a large pat
tern in diamonds developed in tur-
quoise. Nile green and white, with a
dash of Carmine.
Many women buy these exotic blooms
for household decoration, not to wear.
As artistic properties. to hang from a
chandelier, drape over one corner of
picture frame or illumine a dark niche
they are perfection. They are like
Venetian beads, these Indian belts and
chains, in that they do either to trim
up room or aperson. One is not al
ways in the mood for note of extrav-
agance of this sort. Perhaps it does
not accord with ones gown or the oc-
casion. Then one can hang it up on the
wall
Indian beadwork is exceedingly
strong 1t would require a violent
wrench to break a chain, fragile and
light in appearance, as the latter may
be.
The popularity of Indian beadwork is
but one indication of the growth in APP
probation of and interest in the In
dian. The decorative values of the
Navajo blanket, the Puma basket and
the Pueblo vase have been grasped
but women have been slow to see any
thing attractive in the garments or or
naments of the Indian squaw. Now,
however the New Yorker has found
out the beauty of Indian beadwork and
Manhattan and the red woman Of the
Rockies have one more interest in COM
mon.-New York Tribune.