Shell scraper of an iridescent shell. The interior of the shell is polished and iridescent, with a pearl forming(?). The margin of the shell is sharpened.

Shell scraper of an iridescent shell. Both the interior and exterior are polished and iridescent. The margin of the shell is sharpened and serrated.

Shell scraper of an iridescent shell. Both the interior and exterior are polished and iridescent. The margin of the shell is sharpened.

Shell ring (part a) with flattened sides, wide hole. Slightly broken. Part b is a ring element with bird form. One hole as eye, flat base, inverted triangular shape at its back and incised lines in tail. Slightly broken. Part c is a ring element with bird form. One hole as eye, flat base and incised lines in tail. Incomplete.

The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

Group of ten conch and spondylus shell bracelet and necklace elements. a) Figure with inverted triangular shape and face design. Incised circular eyes, nose and horizontal mouth; cross decoration in nose. Flattened sides and hole for suspension in head. Slightly eroded. b) Figure with inverted triangular shape and face design. Incised circular eyes, nose and horizontal mouth; cross decoration in nose. Flattened sides and hole for suspension in head. Slightly eroded. c) Pendant with rectangular form, two incised circles between holes for suspension and flattened sides. Surface erosion. d) Pendant with square form, flattened sides and hole for suspension in middle of body. Surface erosion. e) Figure with irregular thin form and incised geometrical decoration. Two holes for suspension on flattened sides. Broken and eroded. f) Figure with double-cone form. Flattened sides and curved in middle body. Broken and eroded. g) Figure with irregular form. Flattened sides and small lines incisions at one of the edges. Surface erosion; broken. h) Figure with round form. Flattened sides and hole for suspension near one edge. Surface erosion. i) Figure with "8" form and two holes for suspension in flattened sides. Well preserved. j) Figure with triangular form at both ends and square form in middle. Flattened sides and two holes for suspension on triangular ends. Surface erosion.

The high heeled tennis shoes, size 6, used for the base are made by shoe designer Steve Madden. Then the artist, Teri Greeves, hand sews all the beads and original design elements onto the canvas base. The design is inspired by the Great Lakes tribes’ designs, as Teri's husband, furniture designer, Dennis Esquival, is Anishinabe and she wanted to do something that reflects his region. Floral motifs, in complimentary colors are on the inside panel of each shoe with a coral, spiny oyster shell cabochon forming the center of each flower. The outside panels depict contemporary jingle dress dancers swaying to the throbbing drums and singing that accompanies these popular dances performed during powwows. During these dances each woman competes not only in dance performance but in over-all quality and beauty of their dance regalia. Before the 1830s the jingles on these dresses would have been made from porcupine quills but this material changed sometime in the mid-1800s to commercially traded tobacco can lids, rolled into cones. When prolifically sewn on to the dresses every movement would make them jingle. Each woman depicted on these shoes wears full regalia, inclusive of beaded dress, moccasins, and a belt with real silver conchos. This detailed beadwork melds traditional technique with modern day commerce into a lively, fun and remarkable sense of contemporary aesthetics. The shoes can stand alone as aesthetic sculptural works or as examples of creative change over time.

Large contemporary woven string bag (bilum) decorated with dyed stripes, different types of shells, chicken feathers, wooden beads, branches with seeds, small fan-shapes made of cut-up plastic packages, possum jaws, boar tusks and pieces of tapa cloth.

Necklace made from a single large, crescent shaped piece of shell painted red, with a thick, woven, red coloured neck strap. A round piece of dyed red skin with fur is attached by a short string to the centre of the neck strap.

Two unmodified oyster shells. Spotty brown discoloration on exterior of shells. Grey and white discoloration on interior and exterior. L. Penttila 4/1/2010