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Elizabeth James-Perry styled this circular medallion after Metacomet’s Leadership Medallion. Metacomet (1638–1676) was the Wampanoag sachem also known as King Philip. The conflict called King Philip’s War occurred between 1675–1676 between Metacomet’s forces and British colonists, who considered the Wampanoag defense of their own territory to be acts of aggression. Through the creation and naming of this work, James-Perry positions Metacomet as an honorable leader of his people and reclaims his Wampanoag name. The medallion shape is a rarely made form—intricately carved beads are arranged to form a complex circular pattern that is sewn onto leather. A respected knowledge holder and a marine biologist, James-Perry has expertise in wampum making that is nearly unmatched in her community. For this necklace she hand-carved each bead from wampum (quahog shell) and dyed the deerskin using natural dyes made from materials she harvested, sometimes from her own garden where she cultivates the plants needed for her creative process.
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Medallion
Elizabeth James-Perry (born in 1973)
Native American, Aquinnah Wampanoag
2022
Medium/Technique
Wampum, walnut dyed deerskin
Dimensions
Length: 61 cm (24 in.)
Credit Line
H.E. Bolles Fund and The Heritage Fund for a Diverse Collection
Accession Number2022.12
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Necklaces and neck bands
Elizabeth James-Perry styled this circular medallion after Metacomet’s Leadership Medallion. Metacomet (1638–1676) was the Wampanoag sachem also known as King Philip. The conflict called King Philip’s War occurred between 1675–1676 between Metacomet’s forces and British colonists, who considered the Wampanoag defense of their own territory to be acts of aggression. Through the creation and naming of this work, James-Perry positions Metacomet as an honorable leader of his people and reclaims his Wampanoag name. The medallion shape is a rarely made form—intricately carved beads are arranged to form a complex circular pattern that is sewn onto leather. A respected knowledge holder and a marine biologist, James-Perry has expertise in wampum making that is nearly unmatched in her community. For this necklace she hand-carved each bead from wampum (quahog shell) and dyed the deerskin using natural dyes made from materials she harvested, sometimes from her own garden where she cultivates the plants needed for her creative process.
DescriptionCircular medallion with purple and white Wampum beads on a brown leather cord. This necklace replicates a 17th century design that is rarely seen in American collections. Most historical Wampanoag medallions are held in museums in the United Kingdom, and to create this necklace James-Perry did research at institutions like London’s British Museum. The medallion form is very rare, as there are few living artists who possess the skills and knowledge required to create it. Each bead is hand-carved and the leather was hand-dyed by the artist.
Provenance2022, commissioned from the artist by the MFA. (Accession date: February 16, 2022)
Copyright© Elizabeth James-Perry