Nez Perce National Historical Park

Hat
1820-1845
A woman’s hat brought honor to the person who wore it. Since these were special items, hats were passed down to younger generations. This twined hat is one of three in the Spalding-Allen Collection. The foundation is Indian hemp wrapped-twining with the weft consisting of strands of hemp on the inside wrapped around with a filament of bear grass. The bear grass is predominantly left in its natural color for the background and then dyed using pigments from the Oregon grape root (Berberis nervosa).
Hemp (Apocynum cannabinum), beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) wool, hide. H 17.2, Dia 17.6 cm
Nez Perce National Historical Park, NEPE 8745



Hat 1820-1845 A woman’s hat brought honor to the person who wore it. Since these were special items, hats were passed down to younger generations. This twined hat is one of three in the Spalding-Allen Collection. The foundation is Indian hemp wrapped-twining with the weft consisting of strands of hemp on the inside wrapped around with a filament of bear grass. The bear grass is predominantly left in its natural color for the background and then dyed using pigments from the Oregon grape root (Berberis nervosa). Hemp (Apocynum cannabinum), beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) wool, hide. H 17.2, Dia 17.6 cm Nez Perce National Historical Park, NEPE 8745
Close This Window