A Wabanaki* women's PEAKED CAP  with Mi'kmaq design beadwork in vintage glass seed beads - by Paul St John, Mohawk craftsman.  This is done on red tradewool with a black tradewool bottom border- it is bound with a red cotton grosgrain ribbon and has a yellow silk ribbon separating the red and black wool.  It is lined with a vintage design gray and white cotton calico material. The entire cap is hand sewn and hand beaded.  *The Wabanaki confederation tribes include Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and MicMac (Mi'kmaq the Canadian spelling- US spelling is MicMac).  

Designs on this cap are replicas of designs from clothing items with Mi'kmaq beadwork from the late 1700's- early 1800's.  Here the traditional double curve designs of both the Wabanaki and the Iroquois are used ... there is a trifoliate design with the 3 "leaves" being green and yellow.  Other designs used here are more unique.  

Some of early Mi'kMaq beadwork on clothing had colored accent beads - along with white (always used) colors included yellow, green, blue and/or red beads.... here yellow and green glass seed beads are added for accents with the traditional white beads.  

In the photo slideshow above - first 9 photos are of this peaked cap - then there are 2 historic photos of Mi'kmaq women wearing peaked caps first photo is from 1865, second 1880....then there is a drawing of a Mi'kmaq woman from mid-1700's wearing peaked cap and smoking a pipe.  

The cap is 17" long, from peak to bottom of cap, at front it is 13" in height.  When folded flat it is 10" from front edge to folded middle of back (see 9th photo - last one of cap - it is folded and laying flat  on a table.   

From about 1700 thru the 1800's, these caps were beaded and worn by women of all 5 Wabanaki tribes.  Some photos from the early 1900's show some women of these tribes still wearing them.  Some with elaborate beading, others simpler beaded designs or beaded borders. 

You could display this as a beautiful work of art  - of use it as part of your regalia