﻿90 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  an 
  inch 
  wide. 
  The 
  original 
  string 
  had 
  been 
  divided 
  some 
  years 
  

   before, 
  and 
  15 
  of 
  the 
  brooches 
  had 
  been 
  arranged 
  on 
  a 
  ribbon 
  in 
  

   the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  cross. 
  This 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  Mrs 
  Converse, 
  who 
  was 
  

   adopted 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time. 
  The 
  natural 
  inference 
  is 
  that 
  she 
  re- 
  

   • 
  f 
  erred 
  to 
  the 
  size 
  rather 
  than 
  form. 
  Fig. 
  132 
  is 
  also 
  hers, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   smaller 
  and 
  the 
  base 
  is 
  different. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  what 
  she 
  

   considers 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  the 
  writer 
  makes 
  the 
  base, 
  thus 
  

   changing 
  the 
  character. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  127 
  is 
  the 
  common 
  size, 
  and 
  the 
  writer 
  had 
  this 
  from 
  the 
  

   Allegany 
  reservation. 
  It 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  next 
  mainly 
  in 
  the 
  

   rounded 
  points 
  and 
  small 
  details 
  of 
  decoration. 
  Fig. 
  129 
  was 
  ob- 
  

   tained 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  source. 
  Fig. 
  130 
  the 
  writer 
  got 
  of 
  the 
  Onon- 
  

   dagas. 
  It 
  is 
  slender 
  for 
  so 
  large 
  a 
  size. 
  Fig. 
  133,. 
  obtained 
  with 
  

   the 
  next 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  place, 
  is 
  also 
  slender 
  and 
  has 
  rounded 
  points. 
  

   Fig. 
  131 
  is 
  a 
  large 
  size, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  remarkably 
  angular 
  base. 
  

  

  The 
  class 
  of 
  brooches 
  now 
  to 
  be 
  illustrated 
  by 
  a 
  few 
  examples 
  out 
  

   of 
  very 
  many, 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  curious 
  one, 
  and 
  definitely 
  proves 
  that 
  orna- 
  

   ment 
  and 
  not 
  meaning 
  was 
  the 
  great 
  object 
  in 
  the 
  manufacture 
  and 
  

   use 
  of 
  all. 
  These 
  ornaments, 
  now 
  to 
  be 
  considered, 
  embody 
  the 
  

   square 
  and 
  compasses, 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  accessories 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  

   decoration, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  these 
  are 
  highly 
  conventionalized. 
  The 
  

   origin 
  is 
  plain 
  when 
  the 
  resemblance 
  is 
  almost 
  lost 
  and 
  this 
  loss 
  has 
  

   led 
  to 
  some 
  erroneous 
  interpretations. 
  

  

  A 
  friend 
  writes: 
  

  

  I 
  fail 
  to 
  find 
  in 
  illustrations 
  of 
  jewelry 
  ornamentation 
  of 
  either 
  

   the 
  French, 
  English 
  or 
  Dutch, 
  designs 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  actually 
  fol- 
  

   lowed 
  in 
  the 
  hammered 
  coin 
  brooch 
  of 
  the 
  Iroquois. 
  In 
  fact, 
  I 
  credit 
  

   him 
  with 
  entire 
  originality, 
  very 
  curious 
  in 
  some 
  cases, 
  and 
  again 
  

   there 
  are 
  suggestions 
  of 
  the 
  white 
  man's 
  work 
  ingeniously 
  inter- 
  

   graven 
  with 
  his 
  own 
  conceptions 
  of 
  art 
  not 
  so 
  rude 
  or 
  savage, 
  that 
  

   it 
  has 
  not 
  developed 
  genius 
  and 
  invention. 
  

  

  This 
  question 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  discussed 
  now; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  true 
  that 
  the 
  

   designs 
  of 
  Indian 
  brooches 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  seem 
  American 
  designs. 
  

   It 
  is 
  very 
  difficult 
  — 
  perhaps 
  impossible 
  — 
  to 
  find 
  these 
  designs 
  practi- 
  

   cally 
  anticipated 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  land. 
  So 
  much 
  the 
  writer 
  had 
  reason 
  

   to 
  believe. 
  Then 
  came 
  a 
  revelation 
  concerning 
  these 
  Masonic 
  

  

  