glass beads and leather

Sioux women, and most Plains beadworkers, preferred a technique called the lane stitch, or lazy stitch. In this technique, a thread is attached to the fabric, upon which about seven beads are strung, and then the thread is passed through the fabric. The thread is returned to the front of the fabric, another seven beads are strung, and that row is laid parallel ot the previous row. The design is built up in rows, which introduces a subtle design element in addition to the patterns created by different color beads. The lane stitch creates a characteristic linear pattern, similar to quillwork, but it permits the artist to cover a large area much more quickly than possible with porcupine quills. From the 1870s on, dresses featuring the yoke completely covered in beadwork and incorporating important symbols such as the eight-point Morning Star became identified with Sioux beadwork.

Kathleen Howe, Nuance of Sky: Edgar Heap of Birds Invites Spirit Objects to Join His Art Practice (Claremont: Pomona College Museum of Art, 2013), 11 illustrated/color.

This object has the following keywords:

• Beadwork
• Ceremonial Costume
• Ceremonial Objects
• Ceremonies

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Nuance of Sky: Edgar Heap of Birds Invites Spirit Objects to Join His Art Practice , 1/21/2013 - 4/14/2013

• Overall Dimensions: 57 x 70 x 50 in. (144.78 x 177.8 x 127 cm) Measured by Hudson, Karen

This object has the following bibliographic references:

• Nuance of Sky. Nuance of Sky Pomona College Museum of Art. Claremont, 2013
  Page Number: 11

This object is a member of the following portfolios: