inserting beads

[Cory Joe Stewart]

When looking at beads inserted into gun stocks, clubs, etc. Is there a region or group that is more associated with?

Coryjoe

[Artificer]

Wow, there is no easy answer on this one. 

May I suggest the best thing is to start with the time period and geographic location you are attempting to emulate?  That will narrow down the field HUGELY because different beads and bead patterns were used at different times and there were some "styles" of the work that were more common to different Native American Tribes in different times.
Gus

[Artificer]

For example, in the 70's I decided to use the basic shape of a pipe bag and put it between my body and belt and then fold over the top of the bag over the belt to use it as a belt bag.  Since I was doing "mountain man" then and because Mountain Men usually got along with the Crows, I used Crow Indian designs and sewed the beads to the pouch in geometric patterns using a lazy stitch with about 8 beads to the line before another stitch.  I also researched to ensure the type and size of beads were correct for that time period.  That was correct for Plains Native Americans, but would not be correct for Eastern Native Americans in an earlier time period. 

Eastern Native Americans often used porcupine quill work before and even after glass beads were available from Europeans.  Quill work was actually done in any region that had porcupines, though. 

Here is just one link to the history of trade beads, but it should get you started to google search what you may be looking for:

http://www.native-american-market.com/glass_trade_beads.html

Gus

[Luke MacGillie]

When looking at beads inserted into gun stocks, clubs, etc. Is there a region or group that is more associated with?

Coryjoe

From my understanding, there are only 3 artifacts that have this decorative feature.  There is the well known gun in Hamilton's Colonial Frontier Guns, that inspired Ted Belue to do an article, which caused a number of folks, myself included to do this to our guns back in the 90's. 

Then there is a part of a gunstock that was recovered in an archeology dig, I don't have the information on it.

Then there is a warclub that has the "Eyes" of the animal holding the ball done with beads.

Bottom line there is not enough information to even make an educated guess as to who, was doing this. 

But there are literally hundreds, if not thousands more guns, clubs and knives right now with this feature in the hands of skinners, shooters and reenactors than there are surviving artifacts. 

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Yeah those were the examples I was looking at.  I have inserted beads on horn plugs before but was just making it up as I went along and was not following a specific example.

Thanks for the information.

Coryjoe

[jrb]

One other gun that has glass seed beads, inlaid in another Wilson similar to the one shown in Hamilton's "Colonial Frontier Guns", is shown in Ryan Gales "For Trade and Treaty" book. He says; "This unique fowler is one of the several remaining examples considered to have been imported by Sir William Johnson during his time as Superintendent of Indian Affairs (1755-1774). These firearms share several features including French style stocks and buttplates, English locks, engraved bow and quiver motif and white seed beads".

The bead pattern in this gun is completely different though than the one in Hamilton's book.

 In James Hanson's book "Encyclopedia of Trade Goods - Firearms" he shows another Wilson fowler that "may" have marks of the guns requested by Sir William Johnson, but it has no beads inlaid. He also shows several requests from Sir William Johnson regarding guns for Indians but does'nt mention inlaid beads.

[firelock-inc]

Over the years I have counted at least seven guns with white seed beads.

They tend to have come from around the great lakes area.

The newest being a  Hudson's bay percussion trade gun from the
1870's.

This tells me the practice was  done for over 100 years.

Rick