KIOWA BEADWORK

Kiowa women have used beads to embellish clothing and articles for everyday as well as ceremonial use since the early nineteenth century. Although beaded works are produced by many Plains peoples, the Kiowa are distinguished by their use of delicate, symmetrical designs composed of geometric and floral shapes, made out of small seed beads. Kiowa beadworks also show a preference for red, orange, yellow, blue, and black, which Tonepahhote refers to as the “fire” colors because of their similarity to the spectrum of colors in a flame Discrete shapes and fields of color may be outlined with a contrasting color, like black or yellow, to make them stand out more sharply from the ground.

Despite these general aesthetic principles, Kiowa designs vary from band to band and between individuals beadworkers. When it comes to the Kiowa beaded design repertoire, there are no hard and fast rules that can be set down for all time, as Kiowa bead artists continue to expand the range of artistic sources and motifs they use.

Materials

Tonepahhote uses Nylon D thread–a type of thread favored among beadworkers because of its strength and fineness–and glass seed beads (Charlottes size 11) that are imported from Czechoslovakia These beads are very small–about 17 beads equals one inch! Although synthetic Nylon thread and imported Czech beads might not seem “traditional,” we should keep in mind that the Kiowa were well established traders on the Plains and had an extensive trading network from which to draw materials even before the arrival of White traders and European trade-goods. The metal discs and cowrie shells you see on Tonepahhote’s dress are examples of materials that predated contact with non-Natives and were accessible via indigenous trading partners in the Southwest and South The incorporation of imported goods and new materials has been a hallmark of the history of Kiowa artistry