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Many of these western Delaware pouches show a downward curved or triangular decorative element below the opening along the upper rim, creating the appearance of a flap. Most probably this flap-like element resulted from exposure to the shoulderbags used by the Cherokee Indians, with whom the Delware Indians allied themselves in Arkansas and Texas. Surviving examples enable us to follow this stylistic change, resulting in fully beaded bandolier bags of a Southeastern type by 1850. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
ProvenanceAcquired by Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs in Ohio, between 1787 and 1801; descended in family (family tradition has it that Meigs acquired this pouch from local Delaware Indians in 1795); this tradition almost certainly relates to the pouch T0009 also acquired by Col. Meigs; Sotheby's, New York City, 1991
BibliographySotheby's (London), Sale 6245, 26 November 1991, lot 89.
Van Norman Turano, Jane. "Sotheby's New York Two Very Special Family Collections." Maine Antique Digest, February 1992, pp.46-B & 47-B.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.94.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 92.
Culture
Lenape (Delaware)
Pouch
Date1795-1820
DimensionsOverall: 7 1/2 × 7 1/2 in. (19.1 × 19.1 cm)
Object numberT0009
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextDuring the American War of Independence most of the Delaware Indians had moved from Pennsylvania into the Ohio-Indiana region, hoping thereby to restore their native way of life again. Unfortunately, American colonization rapidly expanded beyond the Ohio Valley, and by 1800 increasing numbers of Delaware Indians withdrew across the Mississippi River into present Missouri, Arkansas, and the eastern parts of Texas. This shotpouch is a typical example of the black-dyed skin pouch type used by those western Delawares in the 1820s. The type reveals strong influence from Great Lakes Indian art in its general shape and the layout of the quillworked decoration. However, the decorative patterns are quite distinct; instead of Thunderbirds and Horned Panthers these Delaware patterns are usually of a highly abstract character.
Many of these western Delaware pouches show a downward curved or triangular decorative element below the opening along the upper rim, creating the appearance of a flap. Most probably this flap-like element resulted from exposure to the shoulderbags used by the Cherokee Indians, with whom the Delware Indians allied themselves in Arkansas and Texas. Surviving examples enable us to follow this stylistic change, resulting in fully beaded bandolier bags of a Southeastern type by 1850. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
ProvenanceAcquired by Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs in Ohio, between 1787 and 1801; descended in family (family tradition has it that Meigs acquired this pouch from local Delaware Indians in 1795); this tradition almost certainly relates to the pouch T0009 also acquired by Col. Meigs; Sotheby's, New York City, 1991
BibliographySotheby's (London), Sale 6245, 26 November 1991, lot 89.
Van Norman Turano, Jane. "Sotheby's New York Two Very Special Family Collections." Maine Antique Digest, February 1992, pp.46-B & 47-B.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.94.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 92.
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