Sunday, July 31, 2011

Hoyaneh in Bronze by Steven Lalioff

Steven Lalioff has cast in bronze the burl-wood carving, Hoyaneh. He has attached real deer antlers to each piece which also has hand made sterling silver ball and cone earrings. There is an edition of six plus the artist proof. Each of the pieces has a bronze patina applied by Steven to make the bronze look like the burl carving.

More photos and about the process on Steven's blog Burl Carvings.

Hammer of Freedom by David Crisalli

"I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in the bicentennial year of 1976, which, by happy accident, was perfectly in keeping with my love of all things Colonial.  In addition to my 26 year naval career, I have worked in many professions from dental technician to gunsmith to rocket scientist to goldsmith.  A few years ago, I made a gold necklace charm and matching earrings in the shape of a miniature flintlock hammer for my wife. They would always catch people’s attention, but no one knew what they were.  I was always disappointed that most of my countrymen could not recognize a basic part of the simplest and most important instrument that won them their independence.

So now, once a year, usually just before April 19th (Lexington Green day) and the 4th of July, I sit at my bench and make up several jewelry items using the flintlock motif…the “Hammer of Freedom”… and I send pieces to people I feel are true American patriots.

On Lexington Green, in April of 1775, one of the American colonists gathered there shouldered his musket and fired that first round of the most momentous revolution in the history of mankind.  In its iron jaws, the hammer on that lock firmly held the flint that ignited a war and ultimately released America from the iron jaws of empire.  A free nation came into being by the will of a determined people bearing arms.  Over the years, that nation has been defended time and again by the equally courageous and determined descendants of those first patriots.   While the technology of their weapons changed with the generations, their right to be free Americans was won with a flintlock musket.

The graceful hammer of a flintlock is a subtle symbol of that courage and determination.  It is also a symbol of our inalienable right to arm ourselves in defense of our freedoms, our families, our lives, and those who cannot defend themselves.  All of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans began with courage… and a flintlock on Lexington Green."




Copy and photos supplied by David Crisalli.

Circa 1860 Tack Head Banjo by Tim Crosby

This is a little different from our normal post, but it shows the talent of Tim.


Photos by Tim Crosby.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Belt Bags by Darrel Lang


 A small belt bag with flap that has a brocade lining sewn in on to the back of the flap and the edge has been whipped stitch to protect the raw edge and a button closure added. Finished size is 6 1/2" wide by 5" deep with a 1 1/4" gusset. Made from 3oz. veg. tanned leather, hand sewn with waxed linen thread, dyed a dark brown and treated with bee's wax & neetsfoot oil.


 The flap on this belt bag has a little tooling done on it and also a button closure. 

Copy and photos supplied by Darrel Lang.

Ron Vail Named Artist in Early American Life Directory of Traditional American Crafts


This article was recently published in the News-Examiner of Connersville, Indiana on Ron Vail.

Wool Trade Cloth in the Collection of The National Museum of the American Indian

Ponca Dress

This hand-stitched woman's dress is made of medium-weight, coarse red and blue wool cloth. The bodice of the dress is red and the skirt is blue. The white selvedge of the blue cloth is visible at the side seams and hem of the skirt. The dress has a high waistline and 3/4 length sleeves. The entire bodice is lined with a printed, plain-woven cotton fabric that is white with small red dots. The neckline is finished with blue and white plain-woven cotton gingham binding and the sleeve edges are embellished with black silk satin ribbon. The entire front and back of the bodice is covered with blue and white striped beadwork that is stitched directly to the red wool cloth in the "lazy stitch." There are beaded panels along the tops of the shoulders, which are executed on a different red wool cloth than the rest of the bodice. The black and white striped selvedges of these panels are visible at the neckline. These panels have opaque white beadwork in a geometric and linear pattern. Below the shoulder panels are two rows of tubular glass beads with painted silver metallic interiors. There are applied semi-tanned hide fringes stitched around the dress just above the waistline. The fringes are strung with opaque white and black tubular glass beads.

The style of this dress is uncharacteristic for this time periods and it resembles Blackfeet dress styles. The narrow red shoulder bands were not visually characterized because the weave structure is obscured by the beadwork and there are no areas that could be sampled for dye identification. However, this cloth did fluoresced bright orange under UV light. It appears as though these bands were recycled from another object. They resemble beaded bands on bags made in the Great Lakes region.

Wool, cotton, semi-tanned hide, glass beads

Selvedge Magnified

There are two cloths being examined on this dress. Cloth A is the red wool cloth that the bodice is primarily constructed from. It is a heavyweight wool plain weave with no visible selvedge.




Blackfeet or Siksika Textile Square


This object is a small rectilinear medium-weight, red wool textile that is hand-stitched. The white selvedges are visible in the center seam beneath a strip of zigzag cut red cloth, which is stitched over the seam. The textile is embellished with curvilinear, floral beadwork that is stitched to the red cloth. The red wool is entirely lined with a white, plain-woven cotton cloth. All of the outer edges are finished with a dark blue twill woven binding.

This cloth may be portions of a recycled men's apron. The beadwork motifs are more characteristic of Plains Cree or Ojibwa than Blackfeet or Siksika.

Wool, cotton, glass beads
Selvedge Magnified

The cloth being examined is a red wool cloth that the object is primarily constructed of. It is a medium-weight plain weave with a white selvedge.

The white selvedge of this cloth is resist-dyed. The resist-stitch holes are visible at the dye line.

Fox Dance Bustle
Description: This dance bustle is primarily constructed from a coarse red wool cloth. However, the foundation at the top back of the bustle is made of a thick piece of yellow and red painted rawhide, which appears to be a recycled portion of a parfleche. There is finely woven red wool cloth covering the foundation of the bustle and several semi-tanned hide thong straps that function as a means of attachment for the wearer. The bustle has two long red wool trailers, which are almost entirely covered with black feathers. The white selvedges of this cloth are visible at the bottoms of the trailers. There are two spikes extending from the top of the bustle that are heavily embellished with: black horse hair wrapping, dyed quills, dyed white tail deer fur, feathers, semi-tanned hide fringes, white metal cone tinklers, dew claws, glass beads and fur. There are also three white metal broaches attached to the top of the bustle.

Dance bustles like this one are usually made with eagle, hawk, or owl feathers. This object tested negative for arsenic residue. Test locations are noted in the object file.

Wool, rawhide, semi-tanned hide, feathers, horsehair, quills, white metal, horn, fur, glass beads


Selvedge Magnified
Both red cloths on the bustle are being examined. Cloth A is the red cloth of the trailers that has a white selvedge. It is a medium-weight, coarse balanced plain weave. Cloth B is the red cloth that is covering the foundation at the top of the bustle. This cloth is lighter in weight and more finely woven that the cloth described above. It is also a balanced plain weave.

The white selvedge of Cloth A is resist-dyed. The resist-stitch holes are visible at the dye line. Cloth B does not have any visible selvedge edges.

Both red cloths on the bustle are being examined. Cloth A is the red cloth of the trailers that has a white selvedge. It is a medium-weight, coarse balanced plain weave. Cloth B is the red cloth that is covering the foundation at the top of the bustle. This cloth is lighter in weight and more finely woven that the cloth described above. It is also a balanced plain weave.




Nez Perce or Sahaptin Quiver

This very large and heavy quiver has a long outer panel made primarily from hand-stitched pieced course red wool cloth, which is entirely lined with lightweight, plain-woven cotton. The selvedge is visible along the bottom edges of the outer panel. Fur pelts (that appear to be otter) are stitched to the entire panel. There is beadwork in diagonal lines and chevrons in opaque blue and white beads in on the face of the red wool cloth. Tubular pendants hang from the center sides of the outer panel. The pendants are heavily beaded with geometric motifs executed in "lazy stitch" on semi-tanned hide. The top and bottom edges of the pendants are trimmed with red wool cloth binding. There are long fur trailers hanging from the bottom of each pendant. The pendants are stitched to the outer panel and the quivers with semi-tanned hide thongs. There are short green, red, yellow, and blue ribbon streamers stitched to the animal pelts on the outer panel. The bow case and quiver are located beneath the outer panel are constructed from animal pets stitched into a tubular bags. The top openings are finished with striped beadwork in "lazy stitch" on semi-tanned hide that was applied to the opening edges of the quivers. Each quiver has a long geometric beadwork panel attached at the opening. The quiver panels were beaded and edged with red wool cloth in the same techniques described above. The bottoms of the quivers are also decorated with beadwork and have fur trailers similar to the tubular beaded pendants on the outer panel. The quivers are stitched together and to the outer panel with semi-tanned hide thongs.



A horseback rider would have worn this quiver over the shoulder. This piece is rare and that few of such quality exist in museum collections. This object tested negative for arsenic residue. Test locations are noted in the object file.



Selvedge Magnified

The cloth being examined is a coarse red wool cloth that the quiver is primarily made of. It is a heavyweight, plain weave with a white selvedge.










Copy and photos NMAI.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Jim Kibler for Mike Wilson

This summer I ordered a .54 caliber wood patch box flintlock from Jim Kibler, and he said it would take about two years. He e-mailed me a few months ago and he said he would have one ready in October. He asked if I wanted it, and I said, “Sure!” I do not what happened, but I am tickled to death. The photos were taken at an original log cabin built in the mid 1870s, and a few were taken behind the log cabin beside a REAL working out house. 

Jim said the overall stock architecture and rifle design is a compellation of his own ideas and work produced by Lancaster and Moravian gunsmiths. This rifle might represent a piece produced during the 1770’s time period. The rifle is stocked in relatively straight grain maple. The 54 caliber barrel was produced by Rice Barrels and lock is a modified Jim Chambers Early Ketland. The rifle decoration is loosely based on work by Moravian gunsmiths working in Pennsylvania and North Carolina during the 1760’s-1770’s. Wood surfaces of this rifle were created using very little abrasive paper, but rather relying on careful chisel, file and scraper work. This produces a surface which is very representative of period work. Overall the rifle has been finished with a slight patina, representing a used but well cared for piece. 


















Copy by Mike Wilson with supplied photos.  Link to The AK Forum sent by Chris Barker.

Jack Hubbard Bag





Photographed at Cades Cove by Jan Riser.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

What's In Your Bag Willie White...

Bag by Joe Mills







Knife by William White















Photographed at the 2010 CLA Show by Jan Riser.