Short Beaded Strap
name: label: Artist
content: Ira Blount
notes: label: Caption
content: A stepped diamond is the central focus of this beaded strap by artist Ira Blount (1918-2020). Glass beads in white, green, blue, yellow, red, and orange create the short strap’s intricate design. Its bold colors and geometric patterns recall artmaking traditions of the American Southwest. With the development of global trade in the sixteenth century, cultures across North America, Africa, and Europe valued glass beads for their aesthetic and monetary properties. Elements of the design evoke diverse influences and speak to beading’s broad reach and appeal throughout the long history of globalization.
label: Caption
content: After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anacostia Community Museum Collection
creditLine: label: Cite As
content: Gift of Ira Blount
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Anacostia Community Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2011.0004.0120
objectType: label: Type
content: beadwork
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: glass beads, nylon thread
label: Dimensions
content: 4 1/8 × 2 5/16 × 1/8 in. (10.5 × 5.8 × 0.3 cm)