Oneida table cover

33" x 33", tassels 3" long. Corner squares 3" x 3", panels 3" x 7"
Overall beige color with localized brown stain. One broken mesh at the bottom of the left-hand panel, another break by the head of the left-hand figure in the bottom panel. One tassel missing, upper left corner.

An extraordinary piece of Native American lacemaking. The iconography is typical of Oneida work.The linen cloth has been divided into sections by drawnwork. Four lace panels show a canoe flanked by archers. The corner motifs are the same canoe and archer, then a teepee and a woman with baby. The terms 'squaw' and 'papoose' are highly derrogatory - we have enough trouble with the image of white people putting Indian women to work on a white person's craft. Don't make it worse.
The clothwork is well done with good quality thread. The unique 'droschel' ground is very unusual, and a signature of this kind of work.

acquired 05/06/2019
first posted 04/25/2020