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Pitt Rivers Museum

1899.86.8

Embroidered sword belt.


1899.86.8

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Embroidered sword belt.
Long description
Belt made of joined sections of varying fabrics. Central section is black plain weave cellulose fabric with a central horizontal seam. At either end of this central section are matching panels of black fabrics embroidered with stylised scrolling foliage design in orange and white. The panels are each bordered with two brown and beige fabrics on top and bottom edge decorated with zigzag embroidery. Two different fabrics are located at the end where this panel joins the back panel. This panel is interlined with cellulose fabric and has paper reinforcing the edges, the whole of this panel is lined with a green/beige silk damask. A further small section of black fabric is stitched to the end of each embroidered panel and are bordered with a faded red fabric. The ultimate panel on either side is flared at the end and is black cellulose edged with beige cellulose fabric. Stitched to the front of these panels are two pieces of cream damask silk. This final panel is backed with fish skin. A section of fish skin is also attached to the back of each of the panels immediately preceding this. Both ultimate ends are raw edges.
Geographical reference
Cultural groups
Ainu アイヌ
Person
Field collector Unknown Collector
PRM source Stevens Auction Rooms
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1899
Date collected
By 1899
Acquisition information
Purchased: 1899
Materials and processes
Material Textile, Material Animal Hair Textile, Material Fish Skin, Material Silk Yarn Animal, Process Embroidered
Dimensions
Length: max 1000 mm approx, Width: max 80 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1899.86.8
Associated publications
Illustrated (detail only) in black and white as Plate V, A in Hair Embroidery in Siberia and North America by Geoffrey Turner (Oxford: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, Occasional Paper on Technology, 7). The illustration is captioned (page 76) as follows: 'Detail of sword-belt,Sakhalin. Dicing, straight line, and floral motifs in reindeer hair; lower curved line silk chain-stitch. Width 9.5 cm. Purchased 1899. PRM: B.I.118.5' [MJD 19/08/2011]

Search terms: Clothing, Belt