< RETURN HOME

4. Bandolier Bag

Bandolier or shoulder bags are larger than charm bags and were worn by men at ceremonial and formal occasions and used to hold tobacco, paint, medicines and other personal items, much as a woman uses a purse today. The bags were very popular among the Great Lakes people after 1860, but were relatively rare among the Meskwaki. Very few survive in museum collections. Bandolier bags, heavier than charm bags, were constructed with a cloth foundation for support. The beadwork was fashioned on a loom and then stitched to the cloth.

5. garters - next

<Return to Meskwaki Home