About
This collection includes bags from the following geographic locations:
India
The bags in this section of the collection were made by the Banjara, a nomadic community from northern India. The Banjara, also known as the Lambadi, are well-known for their vibrant textiles that are decorated with intricate embroidery, shells, and pieces of mirror. International interest in Banjara textiles surged around the mid-20th century; the growth of the airline industry led to increased tourism throughout India and the Banjara began to sell their embroidered textiles at various tourist centers. This collection contains 6 Banjara bags which are currently housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the District Museum in Tarnów. The dates of these bags range from the late 19th century to the early 21st century.
Further Reading: Kwon, C. & McLaughlin, T. (2016). Textiles of the Banjara: Cloth and Culture of a Wandering Tribe. Thames & Hudson.
Italy
The bags in this section of the collection were made in Italy during the early 19th century. The dates of these bags coincide with the dates of the Grand Tour, a custom and rite of passage for aristocratic, European men which gained popularity in the late 16th century and lasted through the 19th century. The Grand Tour consisted of a trip throughout all of continental Europe, but Grand Tourists, who mostly came from northern Europe and England, were particularly enamored with Italy and its ancient ruins. Souvenir hunting was an integral aspect of the Grand Tour; Italian souvenirs from this period typically include reproductions of antiquities and objects that incorporate representations of cultural motifs. This collection contains 2 Italian bags which are currently housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Further Reading: Black, J. (2003). Italy and the Grand Tour. Yale University Press.
Mexico
The bags in this section of the collection were made in Mexico between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This collection contains 6 Mexican bags which are currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; all of these bags are a part of Elizabeth Cutter Morrow’s Mexican beadwork collection. Elizabeth Cutter Morrow (1873-1955) amassed this collection while she was living in Mexico with Dwight Morrow, her husband who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico from 1927 to 1930. Elizabeth Cutter Morrow collected numerous examples of Mexican beadwork in an effort to preserve and promote Mexico’s colonial and indigenous artworks. The designs on the beaded bags are influenced by both traditional Mexican iconography and European beadwork patterns from fashion publications of the period.
Further Reading: Delpar, H. (2015). The Enormous Vogue of Things Mexican: Cultural Relations between the United States and Mexico, 1920-1935. University of Alabama Press.
Northeastern North America
The bags in this section of the collection were made by the Haudenosaunee, a confederation among six Native nations from what is now northeastern North America. The Six Nations include the Mohawk (Kanien’kehaka), Oneida (Onayotekaono),Onondaga (Onundagaono), Cayuga (Guyohkohnyoh), Seneca (Onondowahgah), and Tuscarora (Skaruhreh). While the Six Nations share many cultural similarities, each nation has its own unique customs and uses a distinct language. The dates of these bags range from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. During this time, the Haudenosaunee were forced onto reservations by the U.S. government. In order to support their families, many Haudenosaunee women began to sell beaded bags and pin cushions at places such as Niagara Falls and state fairs. The Haudenosaunee still practice this form of beadwork today; they continue to live on territories and reservations in upstate New York, Wisconsin, Ontario, and Quebec as well as in communities in Oklahoma and North Carolina. This collection contains 6 Haudenosaunee bags which are currently housed at the Brooklyn Museum; the museum’s object records for these bags do not specify which of the Six Nations created them.
Further Reading: Biron, G. (2012). A Cherished Curiosity: The Souvenir Beaded Bag in Historic Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Art.