Beauty in Originality

Collectors can explore stunning examples of historic Haudenosaunee bags during an online exhibition at John Molloy Gallery.

- By Alyssa M. Tidwell

After the conclusion of the American Revolution in 1783, life would be irrevocably changed for the masses. Indeed, for the colonists who had come from Great Britain and ultimately fought for an independent America, it was an era of opportunity and new horizons in the aftermath of a long and bloody battle. For the Haudenosaunee people of the Northeast, known also as the Iroquois, this period in history meant something different. Having supported the British during the conflict, their traditional way of life was altered dramatically post-revolution. The Iroquois Confederacy was defanged, their land stripped away and their power rendered obsolete. A displaced people, in order to uphold their traditions and tell their stories, they turned toward art. The earliest known examples of Haudenosaunee beaded women’s bags—a form of creative expression as well as a means of making money—date as far back as 1794. It was in this time period up to about 1860 that we see the most original and creative examples of these works.