Penobscot moccasins, Bangor, 1834
Item 1475 info
Maine Historical Society
Deerskin moccasins feature wide side cuffs of appliqué cut silk ribbon designs. Attributed to a Penobscot Nation artist, the moccasins feature a geometric cloth and white beaded pattern. Inscribed on the inside of the left shoe :moccasins: G. Robie / May 9, 1834 / P.F.G. Robie" and on the inside of the right shoe, "Feby 4th G left for Bangor."
Access to manufactured materials like woven cloth and glass beads saved time from processing skins, stones, and shells, traditionally used for adornment. The introduction of brightly colored silk ribbons and standard sized glass beads led to a flourishing of innovation in Wabanaki adornment. Red and blue wool associated with yearly annuities from the governments of Massachusetts and Maine to the sovereign Penobscot Nation fulfilled yearly treaty agreements, called "trade cloth" are featured on these moccasins.
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