Photographs (left to right): Coso, California; Coso, California; Custer State Park, South Dakota

Wampum Belt Archive

Penobscot

AMNH 50.1.9951

American Museum of Natural History

belt

R. D. Hamell November 21 2024

Original Size:	Rows: 4. Length: 38cm. 15.0 inches. Has 8 half beads in crosses
Reproduction:	Beaded Length: 17.0 inches. Width: 2.0 inches. Length w/fringe: 37.0 inches.
Beads:	Columns: 108. Rows: 4. Beads: 446 - 8 half beads in crosses
Materials:	Warp: Deer leather. Weft: Artificial sinew. Beads: Glass.

Description:

White glass bead belt with central dark blue square flanked by two crosses on both sides, recreated design. Purchased from Frank G. Speck in 1916, made by a Penobscot girl, an identical version is part of the collections in the Canadian Museum of History (CMH), Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

"Upon the death opf achief several delegates were sent by the Penobscot to their neighbors arrying the mourning belt. A mourning belt was smaller than the rest, about 12 inches long, mostly white with a section of blue on the center repesenting the dead chie, and flanked by two blue crosses denoting the second chiefs or captains in mouning" (Speck, 1939).

Note: the crosses 'wings' are comprised of 2 half length beads each.

Reference:

American Museum of Natural History.

Coming Home Gallery Guide. 2017. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56a8c7b05a5668f743c485b2/t/609c52b5a56b016d82cc37b5/1620857529706/Coming+Home+Gallery+Guide.pdf

Speck, Frank. 1919. The Functions of Wampum Among the Eastern Algonkian.