[NATIVE AMERICAN] c. 1910 Blackfoot Beaded Armbands w/ Ermine Pendants

A Pair of Blackfoot Beaded Hide Armbands with Ermine Pendants. Northern Plains, circa 1910.

A striking pair of armbands, their broad hide bands covered in white glass beads and ornamented with bold geometric devices in red and yellow. On each, opposing red chevrons flank a central rectangular figure composed of contrasting triangular fields. Slender red extensions continue outward across the white ground, while narrow borders of translucent amber-colored beads frame the upper and lower edges. Hide ties secure the bands, and checked cloth is visible along the interiors.

Long ermine skins descend from the sides, their pale fur and dark-tipped tails providing a flowing contrast to the compact, precisely ordered beadwork. The pendants substantially extend the visual proportions of the armbands, introducing a sense of movement that would have complemented the wearer’s gestures.

The pair belongs to the varied traditions of personal adornment among the Blackfoot, or Niitsitapi. Beaded hide armbands are documented in the collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, among others.

Dating to approximately 1910, the armbands unite a restrained palette with emphatic design. Their appeal rests in the clarity of the red-and-yellow devices against white and in the expressive contrast between the beaded bands and the long, softly textured ermine pendants.