Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 1986-0006-0003   CAS 1986-0006-0003; Bag
Category Textiles
Object Name Bag
Culture Nez Perce
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Idaho, Washington or Oregon
County
Other Geographic Data unknown
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture early 1900s
Collection Name N/A
Materials Hemp; Hop twine; Tule or bulrush (Scirpus acutus) stems; Corn husk; Cotton string; Wool; Leather; Aniline dyes
Description Large, flat rectangular storage bag woven in 2-strand plain twining technique; Warp material is hemp; Weft material is combination of hop twine and tule; Designs are woven in false embroidery technique, using both wool yarns and dyed corn husk fibers as the weft; Design on one face consists of single column of very large stacked "X" motifs, with each unit a composite of smaller diamonds and triangles of dark brown corn husk fibers or red and dark green wool yarn; Wide horizontal bands extending across entire width of bag and originally woven of wool yarns separate adjacent "X" motifs; Design on opposite face of bag consists of 3 large geometric motifs each a composite of a dark brown hourglass in the center (woven of dyed brown corn husk) with a large dark green and red wool yarn "V" motif at either side; Designs on both faces of bag are woven on background of undyed corn husk fibers which are also woven in the false embroidery technique; Two short cotton string loops are threaded through mouth of bag from front to back.
Dimensions (cm) Width = 40.4, Length = 63.0