Beads

24″X 30″X 2″
Epoxy resin, paint, etc.
1994
$3,100

Text:  In America, beads bearing the images of past chiefs, totem animals, and sacred places are used as a means of exchange. While the imagery and ancestral language on these beads is not well understood by most Americans, accumulation of the beads is highly valued, often more so than family ties and friendships. Individuals tend to see themselves as superior to those with fewer beads and inferior to those with more beads. Because of this valuing of beads, they usually choose friends, neighbors, and spouses with similar bead-counts. While open discussion of bead-count is taboo in most situations, individuals assess the compatibility of others through their style of bead display. ©