[NATIVE AMERICAN] c. 1890 Sioux Beaded Hide Moccasins w/ Green Vamps

A Pair of Sioux Beaded Hide Moccasins. Northern Plains, circa 1890.

A striking pair of hide moccasins distinguished by expansive green-beaded vamps and closely worked white borders. Red-outlined green geometric devices punctuate the sidewalls and ankle bands, alternating with small dark blue accents. A broad green band continues around the heels, visually connecting the decoration of the forefoot with that of the raised uppers. Narrow beaded tabs extend over the insteps, while plain hide tongues and ties provide a textural contrast to the densely ornamented surfaces. A metal cone retaining a red hair tassel accents one forefoot.

The composition is particularly effective in its distribution of color. Broad passages of lustrous green beads establish the dominant field, while the white grounds lend clarity to the smaller red, green, and blue motifs. The repeated geometric elements follow the contours of the footwear, making the construction of the moccasins integral to their decorative arrangement.

Such work belongs to the accomplished traditions of Sioux women’s beadwork, in which the preparation and ornamentation of clothing expressed individual skill and connections to family and community. Late nineteenth-century Lakota garments demonstrate the importance of carefully organized beadwork in conveying these relationships. 

A beautiful pair showing an unusual prominence of green, the disciplined repetition of its ornament, and the close relationship between decorative design and wearable form.