Moccasins

Item number 91.95.2A,B from the Portland Art Museum.

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Description

Plains Indian people traditionally used porcupine quills to decorate clothing and other items. As glass beads introduced by traders became more and more available, the use of porcupine quills gradually declined, though it never stopped completely.

The enbroidered design of porcupine quills on the pair of moccasins on the left (91.95.2a,b) is unique to the Mandan; it usually consists of a sectioned circle with pendant triangles, sometimes referred to as "sunburst." It is similar to the quilled and painted designs found on buffalo hide robes of the same period.