Design
The hat we are viewing illustrates an evolution of beadwork design. Traditional patterns, like the zig-zag patterns seen on the top and bottom of the hat, can be traced back to Haudenosaunee geometric pottery designs seen as early as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (Lyford, 1945, 74b). Additionally, the parallel white beaded lines displayed on the top and sides of the hat could be illustrations of Haudenosaunee symbolism for the earth (Parker, 1912, 613). Starting in the early 1800’s, a new pattern emerged with the increase of Euro-American tourism. Traditional designs like the tree of life and manitous decreased in popularity and there was a focus on floral patterns like those prominently displayed on the cap, which are part of the Niagara Floral Style. This style of beadwork usually features two colored buds in various stages of bloom. The flowers usually have two shades of blue, white, yellow, or red respectively and the stem is a dark green (Biron, 2011c). This hat embalizes, raised beadwork on velvet, a craft unique to the Haudenosaunee people. The cap design is a combination of the Iroquois’ cosmology through their connection with the world around them and the continuation of cultural knowledge.