Belt pouch

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bags of this type were made by women for men to fold over their belts; a slit in the center serves as the opening. The shiny dyed porcupine quills provide a dramatic contrast to the softly textured dark brown leather, and a fringe of metal cones and red-dyed deer hair adds another dimension of texture and color. The bold palette of vivid red, black, and white is characteristic of northeastern Woodlands quillwork of the period.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.

Metropolitan Museum of Art