Beaded Coat

MATERIALS: BUCKSKIN, WOOL CLOTH, COTTON CLOTH, SILK THREAD, GLASS BEADS, COTTON TAPE OR FOX BRAID; PRIMARILY THREAD SEWN WITH SOME SINEW. - F. PICKERING 1-28-1999

FROM CARD: "NEZ PERCE COSTUME. BUCKSKIN."

ACCORDING TO KOBER'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY, REMINISCENCES OF GEORGE MARTIN KOBER, M.D., LL.D., P. 362, THIS OBJECT AND #131242 WERE A SUIT MADE FOR YOUNG CHIEF JOSEPH BY A GROUP OF WOMEN THAT INCLUDED ONE OF ARCHIE LAWYER'S SISTERS LUCY. THEY WERE RECOVERED FROM AMONG MATERIAL ABANDONED BY THE NON-TREATY NEZ PERCE AS THEY FLED THE BATTLE OF THE CLEARWATER (JULY 11-12, 1877) AND WERE RETURNED TO MISS LAWYER. KOBER SECURED THEM FROM HER ON THE PROMISE THEY WOULD BE GIVEN TO THE SMITHSONIAN. KOBER ARRIVED ON THE NEZ PERCE RESERVATION TWO WEEKS AFTER THE BATTLE. THE PREVALENCE OF "CHIEF JOSEPH" ARTIFACTS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, THE EUROPEAN CUT AND DECORATION OF GARMENT, AND THE DOCUMENTED TRADING ACTIVITY OF THE LAWYER WOMEN SUGGEST THAT THE PURPORTED PROVENIENCE OF OBJECT SHOULD BE ACCEPTED WITH CAUTION. ALSO, IF COAT AND PANTS ARE WHAT THEY ARE PURPORTED TO BE, THEY ARE THE ONLY SILK EMBROIDERED AND EUROPEAN STYLE GARMENTS I HAVE EVER SEEN WITH A NEZ PERCE ATTRIBUTION. - STEVEN L. GRAFE 1997

Illus. Fig. 9, p. 69 in Illus. Fig. 7, p. 67 in Grafe, Steven L., 1999, "Nez Perce Decorative Art of the 1870s," American Indian Art Magazine, 24(4). Identified there: man's coat, buckskin, wool cloth, cotton cloth, silk thread, glass beads, sinew and cotton thread, 35 7/16" x 23 5/8" wide (90 x 60 cm.).

1 Jun 2023

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