The Living Museum, Vol. XV No. 6, October 1953 — John Shaqi
The Living Museum, Vol. XV No. 6, October 1953Various
History
The Living Museum, Vol. XV No. 6, October 1953
Various
Natural history -- Illinois; Natural history -- Illinois -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals
Putting these fragments of evidence together, we have been able to
construct a figure representing a Middle Mississippi man. The hair
styling consists of the main features shown in the statuettes and
figures. The head band is decorated with a circle and cross, a design
found painted on Middle Mississippi pottery and engraved on pendants. A
coon tail is attached to the hairknot on the crown of the head. In the
man’s hand is a string of cut shell beads to which is attached a gorget
(breast ornament) made of sea shell. At his side is a robe made of
turkey feathers.
By these means we can at last answer the Museum visitor’s and the
anthropologist’s questions, “How did they look?”—“How did Middle
Mississippi people dress?”
SCALAMANDRE TEXTILES IN THE ART GALLERY
Beginning October 10th, the Illinois State Museum Art Gallery under the
direction of Frances S. Ridgely, Curator of Art, features an exhibition
of textiles used in the restoration of pre-revolutionary homes. From
among the many fabrics which Franco Scalamandré has reproduced for
restoration of historic American houses, the Scalamandré Museum of
Textiles has assembled this exhibition of woven materials of the 17th
and 18th centuries.
Among the 17th century homes are those of the two noted Quakers,
“Pennsbury Manor”, the country estate of William Penn, and the John
Bowne House, Flushing, New York. The Hudson River Valley Dutch era is
shown in “Philipse Castle”, North Tarrytown, New York. New England is
represented by the modest cottage of Paul Revere, Boston, Massachusetts.
The Howland House, Plymouth, Massachusetts, is reputed to be the only
house still standing where once was heard the foot treads of the
Pilgrims, and there is the famous Buckman Tavern, Lexington,
Massachusetts, which was headquarters of the Minute Men, April 19, 1775,
the night that ushered in the War of Independence.
As the colonies increased in population and wealth in the succeeding
century, the homes became more pretentious in their furnishings. The
textiles used in the 18th century homes were the beautiful silk damasks,
brocatelles, lampases, brocades, velvets, and toiles.
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, is represented by the Governor’s
Palace, the abode of the royal governors appointed by the King; the
Wythe House, residence of George Wythe, one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence, and the Raleigh Tavern, the most famous
hostelry of its time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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