Photographs (left to right): Hot Springs Creek, California; Sunrise, St. Thomas, Pennsylvania; Volcanoes, Dominica

Wampum Belt Archive

 

DePeyster Belt

Grand Alliance Belt

1775	Hamell reproduction December 07 2007

 

Original Size:	Rows 31. Length: 145 cm
Reproduction:	Rows: 31. Columns: 453. Beaded Length: 72 inches: 96 inches w/fringe. Width 15.5 inches.
Beads:	Glass Beads Translucent Blue. 14,043 beads
Materials:	Warps: Deer leather, Warps: artificial sinew. Cobalt and white glass beads.

Description:

Colonel Arent Schyler DePeyster, Treaty 1775, represented by 16 plus tribes.

Merseyside Museum, Liverpool, England. King's Regiment Collection. Photograph copy for unknown identified news article (1972?) on file at the Merseyside Museum provided by George R. Hamell, Courtesy Charles Garrad, Ontario, Canada.

Johnson and Smith described the belt as Iroquoian type circa 1780 and the beads are French glass. It was collected by Arent Schuyler de Peyster, British commandant at Michilimackinac (1774-1779) and later served at Detroit during the American Revolution. The 12 human figures holding hands "usually indicated friendship or alliance, although the dark color of the background beads suggest alliance in war."

The belt is in the collection at the National Museums and Galleries of Merseyside, Liverpool, England

Stolle, Nickolaus (2016): National Museums Liverpool, England NML 58.53.9, ex King's Regiment Collection, presented to Arent Schuyler DePeyster (1736-1822), ca 1777.

Reference:

Johnson, Michael and Jonathan Smith. 2003. Tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy. Osprey Publishing Co., 48pp.

Stolle, Nickolaus. 2016. Talking Beads: The history of wampum as a value and knowledge bearer, from its very first beginnings until today. Hamburg, Germany. ISSN 1437-7837