Cree Woman's Deerskin Moccasins Embroidered with Red Flowers

Each slipper style moccasin is constructed of four carefully cut-to-fit pieces of brain-tanned deerskin.  The tops are tucked at the toes and attached to a soft sole of like skin, ushite silk twist.  There is a rectangular inset at the back of the heel sewn to the body upper as well as the sole at bottom and turned cuff on top.  This cuff is the fourth piece and has been attached to the opening of the shoe all the way around except for a space of one inch at the front.  Here there is a small tab or tongue.  A decorative zig zag edge finishes the cuff.

Silk twist of reds, pink and yellow were used to create flowers and buds.  Green and yellow silk was laid, with a fine hand, to form leaves and stems.  The designs are precise and skillfully accomplished, with the same traditional method utililzed in bead and quillwork.  Silk is visible on the interior of the leather.  A lining of cornflower blue trade goods silk has beem cit amd sewn to the interior of each moccains, leaving only the small tongue and a narrow V along the inside top of the slipper, uncovered.

"Unknown artist" is appropriate when a work of art is unsigned and a supported opinion about who made it is not available (on Savvy Collector).. "Attributed to" precedes the name of an artist when information suggests that it likely was made by that artist (on Savvy Collector).