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Six peyote stich tubes on the braided leather necklace. | Oglala
Lakota | ||||||
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Black leather backing. | |||||||
Peyote StitchThe peyote stitch, also known as the gourd stitch, is an off-loom bead weaving technique. Peyote stitch may be worked with either an even or an odd number of beads per row. Both even and odd count peyote pieces can be woven as flat strips, in a flat round shape, or as a tube. |
Butterfly Symbolism Butterfly represents transformation, the ability to go through changes in life with grace and lightness, like the plain caterpillar changing into a colorful butterfly. Butterfly's bright colors symbolize liveliness and playfulness. Butterfly helps us look at heavy and tense situations with a new, lighter perspective. |
About BeadsBeads used by Native American artists are usually round but can be flattened (rondelle) or cylindrical. They are usually made of glass and come in a variety of colors. Most are one solid color except for European Trade Beads, which are mulit-colored and sometimes decorated. Beads are measured by the "aught" system with 1/0, pronounced "one aught", being the largest. The larger the number the smaller the bead.
Seed beads are the smallest round beads, 24/0 to 4/0. 24/0 is approx. 1/32 inch
(about the size of a grain of sand). Seed beads are used mainly for beaded items
and embroidery. Most contemporary high-quality seed beads are made in the Czech Republic, Japan or India.
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