Photographs (left to right): Mohave Desert California/Nevada

Wampum Belt Archive

 

Wampanoag Wampum Belt

1600 ca

NMAI 200898.000
Record ID NMAI 214323

 

beelt

January 06 2024 R.D. Hamell

 

Original Size:
 Rows: 13. 42 inches. 111 cm by 9.1 cm.. Cordage on leather

Reproduction:

Beaded Length: 46.5 inches long. Width: 6.5 inches. Length w/fringe: 70.5 inches.

Beads:

Rows: 13. Columns: 279 rows. Total: 3,627 beads.
Materials:
 Warp: leather. Weave: artificial sinew. Beads: Glass.

Description:

NMAI recorded:

"The name and date, "IOHN TYZACKE, 1609" appears in blue beads upon the belt. This name refers to TIASHQ or TYASKS (subchief to King Phillip) who according to a quotation of Church in Hubbard's Indian Wars, was a sub-chief of King Phillip in 1676. The date on the belt possibly refers to the year of his birth." The blue beads may refer to quohap shell since there is no mention of the beads having glass beads.

Collection history unknown, but possibly commissioned by John Tyzacke (John Tyzack), who may have been associated with a Scottish family of glassmakers circa 1600; probably acquired at an unknown date by Patty Frank (Ernst Tobis, 1876-1959), an artist, collector, and historian who worked for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and contributed his collection to help found the Karl May Museum (Radebeul, Germany), where he served as curator until his death; acquired by MAI through an exchange with the Karl May Museum in 1939 (NMAI).

The name and date, "IOHN TYZACKE, 1609" appears in blue beads upon the belt. This name refers to TIASHQ or TYASKS who according to a quatation of Church in Hubbard's Indian Wars, was a subchief of King Philip in 1676. The date o the belt possibly refers to the years of his birth, Wampanoag Rhode Island (NMAI).

 

Reference:

National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). 2017. https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/object/ark:/65665/ws6c128b81a43ca4069b6ebeca2b49bdbae