An Introduction for Shell

Shell

Shell as an artistic medium in North America is as old as the cultures that have resided here for generations. By the time of European contact, Native peoples of the Northeast had already well established the use of shell in ceremonial and personal adornment.

In the 17th and 18th centuries there were many different beads and articles made from shell throughout the Northeast, i.e. disk or proto-wampum, wampum beads, Y or bell beads, hairpipes, claw core forms, runtees, animal/human effigies, and gorgets, just to name a few. The most commonly known form of shell use is that of wampum. Although its uses have been confused over the years by laymen in its contextual use as money, wampum remains an integral cultural part of Northeastern Native society. Early wampum beads were made from Quahog clam and various whelk shells predominantly by Atlantic coastal Native peoples. In the 17th century the Dutch established wampum factories in New York and in 1746 the Campbell family established a factory in Pascack, New Jersey, dedicated to the manufacture of wampum for the fur trade which stayed in operation well into the 19th century.

Just as the original artisans fashioned personal and religious articles from marine shell, we are attempting to continue this tradition. All of our shell items are made from period and regionally appropriate material. We use quahog clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria), Lightening whelk (Busycon Sinistrum), and Knobbed whelk (Busycon Carica) as our media. As each of these items is individually hand crafted, supplies are limited to the stock we have on-hand unless a custom order is commissioned. Occasionally, strings of quahog shell wampum beads are available.

Please check our listings for currently available

Shell articles.
       ...click here

At The Eastern Door 2007