Rare Wampum Shell Necklace

Description:

Rare Wampum Shell Necklace, Penobscot, c. first half 19th century or earlier, white and purple shell beads strung on hemp in seven pairs of white diagonal lines, seven white crosses, and white edging on a purple background, lg. 26 1/2 in.

Provenance: Dr. Frank T. Siebert Collection, acquired by Dr. Siebert in 1940; From the Estate of Francis Stanislaus, Sylvia Stanislaus shown wearing the necklace in a photograph taken in 1875, also pictured in a photograph of Mary Balase taken in 1865 at the age of 95.

Exhibitions: Uncommon Threads, Wabanaki Textile, Clothing, and Costume, Maine State Museum, May 2009-2010.

Literature: Illustrated in American Indian Art magazine, Summer 2004, p. 66.
Estimate $20,000-30,000

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