Photographs (left to right): Death Valley, California; Death Valley, California; Dinosaur National Monument; Utah

Wampum Belt Archive

 

Penobscot Marriage Belts

belt

Beauchamp 1901, Plate 26, Figure 279 & 280

Design undescrtnable

Original Size:

Rows: 15. Gourd Stitch? see description.

Reproduction:

none

Beads:

 

Materials:

 

Description:

Beauchamp stated these Penobscot Marriage Belts of "a very novel character."

They are of dark beads edged with white, and the rows cross the belt diagonally instead of the usual way. Figure 278 has velvet strings, and Figure 280 has elliptic beads on one border."

"Mr. Wyman said these 'are called marriage belts, and came to me directly from the families to who whom the belts were descended by marriage, passing from generation to generation at the marriage of the oldest child. The outer edge of one of the belts is made from a different variety of seashell,...The belts came from Lizzie Nicola, one of the old-time Indian families of the Penobscot tribe."

Wyman Collection Chic.

Reference:

Beauchamp, William M. 1901. Wampum and Shell Articles Used By The New York Indians. New York State Museum Bulletin No. 41, Vol. 8.