The passion for decorating hair with various ornaments and pendants has been shared by all of humanity since prehistoric times. In some American Indian graves dating back more than two thousand years, bone slivers and tubes carved from shells have been found; these were strung onto locks of hair and served as precious ornaments.
In today’s article, however, I intend to focus on a specific type of ornament known in English as the “hair bow.”
Description
A hair bow (usually worn in pairs), consists of ornaments approximately 10 cm (4″) in size, each cut from a single piece of parfleche (rawhide). Each bow has the shape of two trapezoids connected by a narrow strip of leather. Each trapezoid is decorated with beads, quills, or dentalium shells. A brass wire or sheet metal sleeve is wrapped around the narrowest part of the bow.
Included with each hair bow is a wooden pin, which is inserted into the central metal or wire tube. Hair bows are attached by braiding a small lock of hair, usually near the forehead or temple. The braid is passed through the central part of the bow and secured with the wooden pin to prevent it from slipping off.
Origins and Dating
The origin of these ornaments is unclear; they likely evolved from simpler decorative forms. The exact period of their proliferation is also difficult to determine with certainty. However, by the time George Catlin and Karl Bodmer were painting (the 1830s), hair bows were already a widespread ornament. The range of tribes using hair bows was quite broad, covering a large part of the Northern and partially Central Plains. They appear among tribes such as the Sioux, Crow, Mandan, Hidatsa, Assiniboine, Blackfoot, and others.
If we compare Catlin’s and Bodmer’s paintings with photographs from the second half of the 19th century, it is easy to notice that hair bows apparently fell out of fashion, as their use became much more sporadic. Among some tribes, these ornaments disappeared entirely; among others, they persisted, albeit in a modified form—most notably among the Crow.
Hair Bows Among the Crow
Unlike other tribes, the Crow preserved this fashion accessory and turned it into a tool of cultural self-identification. There are numerous photographs of Crow people with hair bows in their hair. In contrast to the bows seen in 1830s paintings, the use of so-called “antennas“ increased. These “antennas” are actually elongated wooden fixing pins decorated with the feathers of raptors or even exotic birds, such as the peacock. Antennas could be used on both hair bows or just on one side.
Another difference lies in the pendants attached to the bows. In earlier times, these were mainly made of dentalium shells, later more commonly of bone hair pipes. It also appears that the size of the bows changed over time, with later examples being somewhat larger.
Crafting the Reproductions
To create my own hair bows, I developed my own pattern and design. I wanted the ornament to be usable for both the earlier period (c. 1830s) and the later period (1870s). The base is universal, consisting of two bows cut from buffalo rawhide (approx. 2 mm thick). I intentionally chose thicker leather so that it would hold its shape and not deform.
Creating the Pendants
The next phase was creating the pendants. These consist of thick buffalo sinew strung with dentalium shells combined with “Russian beads”—originals from the first half of the 19th century. The ends of the pendants are made of pieces of ermine fur (a whole brain-tanned ermine was used for both ornaments), red-dyed horsehair, and brass bells. Although the bells are modern reproducions, they have a painstakingly applied oxidative patina to look as authentic as possible. It was necessary to hang the pendants on the bows before I began decorating the main surfaces, as later attachment would not be possible.
Forming the Central Cylinder
Next was the creation of the central cylinder. Several options exist for this. Most commonly, brass or copper wire was used. I used 1.6 mm brass wire. Traditionally, Indians wrapped the wire around a tube or stick (8–10 mm in diameter) to create a cylinder or spiral. I wrapped the wire directly onto the rawhide by splitting an 8 mm wooden dowel in half, placing both halves against the center of the rawhide, and wrapping the wire around them. This created the central tunnel.
In some cases, Indians used brass sheet or a tube to create the tunnel. Sometimes they even used an empty brass shell casing with the base cut off. The hair bow was passed through the tube by soaking it in water until it softened, sliding it into the tube, and letting it dry. It is a simple but functional trick.
Decorating the Trapezoids
This was followed by decorating the two larger sections of the bow. Decoration with dentalium shells looks best and was also the most common; I chose this attractive variant. The shells must be selected for the proper size and are attached with very strong buffalo sinew. In some cases, Indians also used beads (most often pony beads) or occasionally quills. As additional decorative elements, I chose pieces of scarlet trade cloth and blue pony beads (antique originals). Everything is attached with sinew, except for the cloth, which is secured with linen thread.
Crafting the Fixing Pins
The final task was making the fixing pins. Both are made from dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), carved and smoothed into a precise shape. The feathers come from birds of prey, and the golden eagle down feathers are dyed with natural pigments. The feathers are attached to the wooden pins using hide glue and buffalo sinew.
If necessary, these fixing pins can be replaced with much smaller ones that do not protrude above the surface of the bows, making them invisible—typical for the earlier period. This allows the ornament to be used for different eras as needed, simply by switching the pins.
Finished Hair Bows
Interesting Fact
The Crow Indians continue to use hair bows to this day. They can be seen, for example, at the annual Crow Fair on the Crow Reservation in Montana.
