Description:

North America, Canada or United States, ca. late 18th to early 19th century CE. A leather cord necklace strung with Hudson Bay glass trade beads and a sterling silver cross, marked "WE" and a fox or dog emblem. Silver and other metal goods played a crucial role in the interactions between European colonists - particularly British and French fur traders - and Native American tribes. Crosses and beads like these were exchanged for furs or other goods and were often worn by Iroquois and other Northeastern tribes as symbols of wealth, reflecting their relationships with European traders. Trade silver was crafted by silversmiths in cities such as Quebec City, Montreal, London, and several American locations like New York, Philadelphia, and Detroit. The "WE" mark on this cross is unidentified but could be from one of these centers. Trade silver was generally made from melted coin silver, hammered into thin sheets for transportation. Size of strand doubled: 30" L (76.2 cm); cross: 4.6" L x 3" W (11.7 cm x 7.6 cm); silver quality: 94%.

Provenance: private R.D. collection, Long Beach, California, USA collection, acquired from the 1980s - 2000

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#189594

  • Condition: Patina and dark toning to cross, otherwise intact. Nicks and chips to beads, but otherwise intact and strung on a leather cord. The cord may be a modern replacement.

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October 18, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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