Loop necklaces were popular in the Northern Plains and Plateau for affluent men in the closing decades of the 19th century. Worn by men, these necklaces had a fairly standard form, with small variations that conveyed the wealth of the wearer and region. from which he came

What makes this particular necklace unique is the materials used. The inclusion of a massive piece of abalone shell, and as well as threaded clamshell beads on the loops, speaks to the trade cross-roads that many Plateau and Crow Indians enjoyed.

Both shells would have been painstakingly imported in from the West Coast. The wearer of this necklace would have needed significant wealth in order to afford such exotic materials.

18” tall and 9” wide

Ex Paul Gray, NY; ex Robert Pamplin Jr, OR (1997-2025).

Published: Mary Schlick and Bonnie Kahn, Keeping the Spirit Alive: American Indian Art from the Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Collection (Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society Press, 2001), p. 52.

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