Taking A Closer Look At American Indian Beadwork

Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth using a needle and thread. Most beadwork takes the form of jewelry or other personal adornment, but beads are also used in wall hangings and sculpture.
Historic pieces of American Indian beadwork are featured in museums across the country, and include fabulous displays of early beadwork using seeds, beans, nuts, shells, bones, teeth, rocks, quills, claws, pearls, turquoise, coral, silver, gold, and other things found in nature.
American Indian beadwork is a popular collector's item. Intricately beaded pieces of clothing, moccasins, and ceremonial head dresses are striking, and make a nice addition to any collection.
According to http://www.nebraskahistory.org, it wasn't until the early 1800s that American Indian beadwork featured the use of trade beads in the colors of light blue and white taking the place of the more primitive pieces used before. The new beads allowed Indian artists to be more creative in their designs and patterns.
The bead work of the Plains Indian tribe is the most prevalent American Indian beadwork, with the use of intricate peyote stitch beading. There are a number of Native American beadwork traditions seen across the country, and each is unique in the beading design, style, color, and stitch used. In pieces of early beadwork, designs and colors used were greatly influenced by the tribal community, and by what color of beads were available at the time.
By the end of the 1800s a variety of colors were available allowing designs to become more intricate in both design and color. For more interesting facts about American Indian beadwork visit http://www.native-languages.org/beadwork.htm. This site also displays of sample works by Native American artists and links to their personal websites where their work can be viewed in more depth.
Today, American Indian beadwork artists use a variety of tiny glass beads in a variety of colors, and sometimes combine them with natural crystals and semi-precious gemstones. Earrings, necklaces, chokers, bracelets, purses, and beaded clothing items, such as moccasins are very popular and are offered for sale at Southwestern style trade shows and Native American cultural events year round in various parts of the country.
There are still artists that create traditional pieces of beadwork using quills and other natural items. Some of these artists work only on commission and when the piece is completed, it is a piece that cannot be duplicated, a truly unique work of art. American Indian beadwork is beautiful and original and can be displayed proudly in the space of your choosing.
Your purchase is a contribution to the Native American culture, and reflects your support of this historic traditional art form. Many online retailers only feature works by authenticated Native American artists, and pieces are usually signed by their creator with verification of authenticity.