KULL. 30 J 



ADORNMENT 



17 



Seminole Ear 

 ornaments 



to relate to sacritieial rites, usually at- 

 tended the boring of the ear. Each per- 

 foration cost the parent of 

 the child or the kindred of the 

 adult gifts of a 

 standard value, 

 and sometimes 

 these perfora- 

 tions extended 

 nnmd the entire 

 rim of the ear. 

 The pendants 

 were of haliotis 

 or other valued 

 shell, or were made of metal 

 or bone, or were long woven 

 bands of dentaliuin which 

 reached nearly to the waist. 

 Labrets were used by the 

 Eskimo, the x. Pacific coast 

 tribes, and some of the 

 Gulf coast Indians. Among 

 some the labret was worn 

 only by men, in some by 

 women, and where worn ])y 

 both sexes it was of two dif- 

 fferent styles. At puberty an 

 incision was made in the 

 lip or at the corner of the 

 mouth, and a slender pin 

 was inserted, which was re- 

 placed by larger ones imtil 

 the opening could admit a pe 

 stud of the size desired. '■ 

 The Eskimo, when travel- 

 ing, removed his labret to prevent freez- 

 ing of the lip. but inserted it when en 



m 



NT OF DENTA- 

 AND ABALONE 



tering a village. Among some of the 

 northern and southern tribes the septum 

 of the nose was pierced, and feathers, 

 bark, or rings were inserted. 



ESKIMO GIRL WITH NOSE-RING 



Elaborate ornamentation of garments 

 was reserved for the gala dress. The 

 Eskimo combined bits of fur of different 

 colors and quality in a pleasing pattern 

 for trimming their garments, ancltishskin 

 dyed in brilliant colors and the plumage 

 of birds were also used for the same pur- 

 pose. Outer garments were maile of 

 the breasts of sea l)irds skilfully joined 

 together. Among the inland tribes the 

 earlier designs for porcupine and feather 

 (juillwork were reproduced later in beads 

 of European manufacture. Feathers were 

 widely used to decorate the robes and 

 garments of warriors and other distin- 

 guished persons, and were woven into 

 mantles by the cliff-dwellers and by 

 tribes formerly living near the Gulf of 

 IMexico. Among the Plains Indians the 

 milk teeth of the elk were the most 

 costly of adornments. They were fast- 

 ened in rows on a woman's tunic, giving 

 the garment a value of several hundreds 

 dollars. 



Headbands, armlets, bracelets, belts, 

 necklaces, and garters, of metal, seeds, 



LABRETS, WESTERN ESKIMQ, (nELSOn) 



Bull. 30—05 2 



LVER BRACELETS, HAIDA. (nIBLACk) 



embroidered buckskin, peculiar pelts, or 

 woven fiber, had their practical use, but 



