Chief's War Shirt

early 19th century

This elaborately embellished warrior’s shirt is decorated on the shoulders and sleeves with traditional porcupine and maidenhair-fern quillwork. Blue-glass trade beads, called pony beads after the pony saddlebags in which traders carried them, are sewn in patterns on the front bib. The painted horizontal designs likely represent horse whips (representing a tally of war exploits) and blankets. The use of both traditional and new trade materials enhanced the wearer’s prestige.