|
CIVIL WAR –INDIAN WARS ERA
OFFICER’S UNIFORM VEST – HEAVILY DECORATED WITH BEADWORK
– A VERY UNUSUAL FRONTIER ERA GARMENT IN VERY NICE
CONDITION: This is a
dark blue wool Officer’s Uniform Vest which was
decorated during the 19TH Century with a
complex pattern of floral beadwork. As the Western
Frontier opened to settlement in the post-Civil War
years, and the army moved in force to establish and man
the military forts and outposts along the immigrant
trails, the first Indian tribes they encountered were
the Eastern Dakota (Sioux) and the Prairie Tribes such
as the Pawnee, Ponca, Otoe, and Osage, all of whom
favored floral beadwork as opposed to the geometric
beadwork designs produced by the Plains Tribes.
Members of the Prairie Tribes were some
of the first in those years to be recruited by the army
into the ranks of scouts, and that exposure provided
those native scouts access to uniform clothing, and in
turn, they were in a position to decorate those uniforms
and sell them back to the soldiers and officers with
whom they served.
These uniform vests were a popular
item among 19TH Century army officers. As
allowed by the Uniform Regulations of 1861, “…officers
permitted to wear a buff, white, or blue vest, with the
small button of their corps, regiment, or department.”
The vests continued to be popular into the Indian Wars,
especially as the army moved on to the northern
plains and mountains where
vests provided that added layer of warmth.
The beadwork is very well executed, featuring a full
coverage of the front panels in a pleasant combination
of designs and colors. The beadwork is overall complete
with very minimal bead loss in isolated spots. The bead
colors are all of the hues available during the 19TH
Century with no modern bead colors, and of particular
note, is the very liberal use of very desirable faceted
metal beads – a highly valued item of trade. The design
elements, the colors of the beads and the use of the
faceted metal beads all argue for this vest being
decorated before the later reservation period when the
design elements became more complex.
The front of the vest is made of
the high grade, finished dark blue wool such as commonly
seen in other pieces of Civil War era officers’
uniforms. These front panels are fully lined in a light
brown cotton jean material, again consistent with the
kind of lining found in other mid-19TH
Century U.S. Army uniforms. The front of the vest is
closed with five ˝” brass General Service uniform
buttons. All of the buttons are intact with no
depressions or other damage. The two pockets
on each side of the front
are all intact.
There is a pocket on the
right side of the interior lining, but the stitching
which attached the beadwork was sewn through the pocket,
effectively closing it.
The back panel of the vest is made up of two layers – a
red velvet material backed with a lightweight black
material, possibly closely woven wool. The edges of the
lapels and the arm holes are trimmed with the same red
velvet cloth which makes up the back of the vest.
The extent of the fading and wear to the velvet
indicates this vest was worn over a
period of time on a regular basis before being
set back as a keepsake. Despite the effects of time,
this vest has survived in very nice
condition. All of the seams of the vest are intact, and
overall the wool, lining and back panel are in very
solid condition.
This is a very nice cross-cultural beaded vest, made for
wear by a Native American or a serving soldier or
officer on the frontier, and not a piece produced for
the commercial tourist trade. Having survived in very
good condition, this would be an attractive piece to add
to either a uniform collection or a grouping of Native
American Art.
(0920)
$2950
|
