Bead Tape
Period1840
Place MadeNew Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumGlass, cotton, silk
Dimensions0.5 × 32 in. (1.3 × 81.3 cm)
ClassificationsJewelry
Credit LineGift of Mrs. J. Amory Haskell, 1934
Object number715
DescriptionA woven bead tape, constructed of thin white cotton warp and weft threads, with multicolored beads in rows of eight beads, in colors including red, yellow, lime green, dark green, dark and sky blue, opaque white, and transparent colorless. Patterns are varied and simple, and include diagonal linear, Xs and Os, long crosses, checkerboard, zigzags, and squares. The date "1840" is worked, with the "4" worked backwards, and the single initial "R." Fragments of the tape's original ivory silk ribbon ends are still visible.Curatorial RemarksBead tapes enjoyed a relatively brief period of popularlity, mostly through the 1830s into the early 1840s. Although sometimes classified as Native American work, this particular type of beadwork was created by schoolgirls as part of their curriculum. While Native Americans have a long and colorful history of beadwork, prior to the 1850s most Native American beadwork was done with shell beads known as wampum. It was not until the 1850s and early 1860s that many Native American tribes incorporated glass beads into their crafts. The narrow bead tapes of the 1830s and early 1840s all bear similarities. Many surviving bead tapes were made in New England, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The Association has three woven bead tapes in its collection. Although none are identified as to maker or location, they most likely were made in the Monmouth County area. Tapes, known as "chains" or "neck ribbons," were usually woven on small wooden tape looms, which provided the appropriate tension for the beadworker. The loom frame also kept the long warp threads from tangling. The beads in these tapes came from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), imported to the United States in great quantities. It is not entirely known as to why these charming and fanciful beaded ribbons enjoyed a relatively brief period of popularity. They are rarely referred to in fashionable publications of the day. Beaded tapes do, however, appear in a number of folk art portraits working in the New England area. Museums including Old Sturbridge Village and the Wadsworth Athenaeum have beaded tapes in their collection. The Association has two other bead tapes also most likely made in the Monmouth County area, one dated 1840 and another dated 1833 (acessions 1999.569 and 2005.534.)NotesThe maker of this charming and colorful beaded tape signed her work simply "R." She also included the date "1840," with the number 4 worked backwards. Bead tapes, also known as "neck ribbons," were worn as long and eyecatching necklaces, or as watch ribbons. They were often made as gifts. Some more elaborate bead tapes include complex motifs and mottos such as "Remember the Giver," "Home Sweet Home," "Temperance," and "Deeds Not Words."
Collections
There are no works to discover for this record.