Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0146-0003   CAS 0146-0003; Pants with moccasins
Category Bead & Leatherwork
Object Name Pants with moccasins
Culture Dena’ina (Tanaina)
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Alaska
County
Other Geographic Data Cook Inlet area
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1880s to 1890s
Collection Name N/A
Materials Caribou or young moose hide; Glass beads; Commercial paint; Unidentified fur; Eagle down; Sinew; Cotton thread
Description Men’s pants with attached moccasins; Pants are constricted from a single piece tanned hide with inseams up each leg to the crotch and then up the center front to the waist; and sewn with sinew; Separate hide strip is sewn up the front of each leg, extending almost to the crotch level and each is decorated with small glass seed beads in colors of white, red, yellow, light and dark blue, sewn in lazy stitch with sinew; Bead strip divides into two narrower strips just above the ankle, forming an empty triangular space which is outlined in red paint; Short red painted line also extends 7.5 cm and 9 cm, respectively, from upper end of beaded strip on each leg; Another separate hide strip is wrapped around each pants leg at the knee and is sewn to the pants leg only at the point where it would cross the beaded strip on the pants leg, much like a garter; Ends of each garter are trimmed to form short fringes and the entire length of each garter is decorated with small seed beads in colors of white, light blue and dark blue sewn with sinew; Hide is folded under at waist to form drawstring waist with hide lacing passing through it; Front of pants are also cut to form a fly; Drawstring waist and front fly are not traditional and suggest a fairly late date of manufacture, well after Dena’ina people had begun to adopt Western style clothing; Moccasins are constricted from several pieces and sewn to the pants legs; Hide strip around top of moccasins is decorated with additional small glass seed beads in colors of white, red, light and dark blue, all sewn with sinew in lazy stitch.
Dimensions (cm) Width = ca. 45.0, Thickness = 1.0, Length = 108.0