ABOUT THE BEADED BAG

In Wilma Cook Zumpano’s untitled beaded purple bag crafted in 2023, one can observe a
textile-based bag with a snap button enclosure sewn together and embellished with a vibrant design composed of beads of various colors, shapes, sizes, and materials (glass and amethyst). The pattern forefronts foliage and floral imagery and adorns the deep purple velvet bag with white cotton trim. Added fringe along the top and bottom of the bag and a beaded woven strap add an additional level of intricacy and delicacy.

Wilma Cook Zumpano, an Akwesasne Mohawk artist, has been supporting the traditional practice of beadwork for most of her life. According to her artist’s statement, she combines “traditional techniques and patterns but adding a bit of modern, to show the progression and fortitude for which these styles have persisted through time and adversity.” Zumpano’s inspiration for this particular piece, however, came from her attendance at an upstate New York bead conference which included a historical collection of Haudenosaunee beaded artifacts. It was at the conference where she viewed a similar bag that was crafted under more traditional practices and materials, and she had the idea to recreate the bag with a modern twist. Zumpano commented on the 1870s bag, “I find it amazing that the original design was so impressive even though the artists at the time did not have the gorgeous beads we have today.” There is a deep history of beadwork in the Haudenosaunee of the Iroquois Confederacy. Beadwork serves a multitude of purposes in Native communities such as embellishing traditional clothing and providing opportunities for gifting, crafting, trading, and selling. Many modern artists like Zumpano are practicing a contemporary approach to beadwork, and the art form is often used not only for functionality and display but as a way to tell a story and spread messages while exercising the individual artist’s creativity. -Annalee Card
 

 

Wilma (Kawennaronnion) Cook Zumpano (Wolf Clan)
Untitled beaded purple bag), 2023
Textiles, beadwork, velvet, cotton, Pellon interfacing, various sizes of glass beads, crystal beads, and amethyst, 8 x 11 x ½ in.
SLU 2023.9
Richard F. Brush Art Gallery
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY