Yakama Bag Gallery
YAKAMA
Fringed Handbag, ca. 1900
Cotton twine, cornhusk, woolen yarn, leather
Schlick collection
Toward the end of the 19th century, cotton replaced Indian hemp as the primary foundation material in most Columbia River twined bags. This handbag has a cotton twine foundation, a false embroidery surface of natural cornhusk and synthetically dyed woolen yarns, and a pale leather fringe.
YAKAMA
Beaded Bag, ca. 1971
Cut and seed beads, velvet, leather
Southwest Museum, Los Angeles
A floral arrangement picked out in red, orange, and brown beads against a blue background adorns the front of this meticulously crafted bag. Its leather trim and velvet back further enhance its luxurious appeal.
YAKAMA or WARM SPRINGS
Beaded Handbag, late 19th-early 20th c.
Glass seed beads, fabric, buckskin thong handle
Schlick collection
Pink, bronze, cranberry and white beads create a geometric design that is quite similar to those found on some 19th-century twined bags. Elaborate beaded bags of this type were frequently passed down within families from generation to generation as treasured heirlooms, a practice that has ensured their survival despite their fragility.
YAKAMA
Miniature Handbag, ca. 1974
Cotton twine, cornhusk, buckskin leather
Schlick collection
Possibly a handbag for a child’s doll, or a personal accessory that a senior woman might pin on her dress like a brooch, miniature bags have always been made as a way to demonstrate the weaver’s skill. This bag was made by a Yakama weaver named Lena George.
YAKAMA
Fold-over Purse with Belt, early 20th c.
Cotton twine, cornhusk, buckskin leather
Schlick collection
Twined belts with fold-over purses are typically worn by women as part of their fancy dress regalia. This example is beautifully embroidered with floral and foliate designs whose intricacy is reminiscent of needlepoint.
YAKAMA
Beaded bag, 1971
Cotton, beads, buckskin
Southwest Museum, Los Angeles
Although horses and flowers are common motifs on beaded bags, this intricate design depicting a Palamino and an Appaloosa trotting beneath a canopy of rose blossoms is exceptionally fine. The bag features several different types of beads and beading techniques and, as is typical for bags of this type, is decorated on one side only.
YAKAMA
Storage Bag, ca. 1920
Hemp, cornhusk, cotton string,
Schlick collection
This bag is attributed to a weaver named Susie Walsey Billy who was a member of the Rock Creek Band, one of the 14 tribes comprising the Yakama Nation. The attribution is based on the testimony of Susie’s daughter, Agnes, who was able to identify the bag as her mother’s work and date it to the 1920’s or 1930’s when it was exhibited in l987 at the Maryhill Museum in Oregon.