6 Pc INDIAN JINGLE DANCE DRESS, Very Old Copenhagen lid

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6 Pc INDIAN JINGLE DANCE DRESS, Very Old Copenhagen lid

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Sold Date: 05/07/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art

is six pieces of Indian dance dresses, and what I think is a wall hanging, or something they carried in their hands while doing the tribal dances. I am selling them for a friend, who had a Great Grandma, who was in the Ponca Indian tribe. I believe these to be authentic, as they were in her attic when she moved into her grandmas house. They have lids made from copenhagen snuff lids, and also what I think says Redwood snuff.

The two piece, red jingle dress, is a top and a skirt. The top is 32" long, and 21" from underarn to underarm and has 147 Redwood snuff can lids, but sixteen are missing from the back shoulders. The skirt is 31" long with an elastic waist, that can be streched to 36" around, and has 47 cone shaped Redwood snuff lids. T are stains around the cuffs, and both parts were sewed by a sewing machine.

The small childs dress has 47 Copenhagen snuff lids bent into a cone shape. It has many stains, and is 23" long, and 12" across, from underarm to underarm.

The red and black gown / dresses do not have any jingles on them, but appear to be ceromonial garb alsy. The red id made from a cotton like material, 54" long, and 24" across underarm to underarm. It has beads sewn onto it, and the fringe type, design, is leather.

The black dress, is a velvety like material, and is 50" X 24" in size. Both are also machine sewn, and seem to be relatively clean.

The wall hanging, or whatever it is, has a top made from a curly, knotty, wooden branch, painted black. It has leather and beads, a shell, and some silver colored metalattached. It is 14" wide, and 23" long.

Women's Jingle Dance

T are many legends surrounding the origin of the Jingle Dress Dance. In the most popular account, a spiritual person dreamed of four women wearing jingle dresses standing before him. In the dream they taught the making of the dress, the sorts of songs that were appropriate and the way the dance was performed. Upon waking, the spiritual person asked family members to assist in making the dresses and carrying out the other aspects of the dream.

The dance was a gift from the Creator to the Ojibway people for the purpose of healing. The dance was also present in the Lakota or Dakota tribes and has spread among other tribes.

After nearly dying out, the dance regained popularity and is now a common category at most dance competitions.

The dress features tiers of seven rows of jingle cones. The cones may have originally been metal lids of Copenhagen snuff and are now made of various other metal materials. Some instances of use of other noise making materials occur, such as bird bones or deer hooves. Dresses are decorated with ribbon, appliqué, paint, and beadwork with matching beaded leggings, moccasins, purse and hair ornaments.

Eagle or other feathers and plumes are worn and a fan is carried and raised during the honor beats of the song. Old Style Jingle dancers do not wear plumes and don't carry a fan; they raise their hands on the honor beats in order to receive healing.

The jingle dress is made of bright cloth with seven rows of "jingle cones." Originally metal lids of Copenhagen snuff cans, the jingles are now made of various metals such as silver or gold. The women wear a scarf or a choker around their necks and their hair is done in two braids pinned to the front of their body with an intricately beaded barrette.

Not all jingle cones are created equal.
Like other musical instruments, they come in different sizes, qualities, tone and pitch.
Combining a selection of tinkling cones with a traditional or contemporary dance style, each jingle dress dancer creates a signature sound of her own.
Jingle dress dancer Alanna Tootoosis orchestrates her own unique sound with a personal favorite, silver jingles cut and folded from finely tuned Copenhagen snuff can lids.
Born into a powwow family from Poundmaker First Nation, Alanna has been dancing since she could first walk, a seasoned traveller on the powwow trail.
"My mother Irene Tootoosis danced w...