Wampum Belt Seed Bead Human Figures

Seed Bead Wampum Belt with Human Figures

This Wampum Belt Seed Bead Human Figures is made with Seed Beads rather than Wampum Beads.  The crafter used glass Seed Beads in Black and White to create the design which features two human figures connected by a black line.  One figure has white beads in the center.  The crafter wove the belt on string.

This handmade glass bead Wampum Belt measures about 24 inches long x just over 2 inches wide. The string fringe measures about 8 inches long. We got this belt from a collection.  You will see dirt smudges on it and a loose section of beads at one end.   You can use this Wampum Belt Seed Bead Human Figures as a strap, a beaded strip for clothing or accessories or add it to you beadwork collection.   One of a Kind!

Native Americans who lived on the Northeast Coast created distinctive beads from the shells of the Quahog clam and Whelk snails.  They called these purple and white beads wampum. Crafters strung  early disc shaped wampum beads in simple strands.  When tube shaped wampum beads made from shell and glass were available, they strung them together with a loom and made them into belts. Crafters created patterns by using one color bead as the background and the other for contrast. They used some of these belts to convey messages of war or peace.  Wampum belts became symbols of status.

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