George Washington wampum belt (replica), 2014 - Anthony Gonyea (Onondaga Nation, b. 1961) New Tork - Ceramic beads, leather, sinew.
Following Native protocol, Washington had this wampum belt made to ratify the Treaty of Canandaigua. The thirteen figures holding hands represent the thirteen states. The longhouse symbolizes the Haudenosaunee. The figures on either side are the Mohawk (Keepers of the Eastern Door) and the Seneca (Keepers of the Western Door).
Replica Wampum Belts
This category specifically applies to the material construction of wampum belts that are intentionally made to visually resemble other (typically traditional or colonial-era) wampum belts. Replica wampum belts use cylindrical beads crafted to duplicate the shape, but not always the size, of traditional wampum beads, and use imported shells, glass, porcelain, plastic, clay, etc. Replicas are typically not crafted using traditional techniques. They tend to be physically larger, and more uniform in the consistency of the bead size, than the originals.
Since replicas may be created for a variety of purposes—such as display, gift, personal use, or tribal use—it can be difficult to distinguish among them. There are, for example, several examples of historical “fakes” in museum collections that were made with the intent to deceive (for monetary gain). There are also “re-makes” composed of modern materials, mimicking historical belts, made specifically for exhibition. “Replicas” that appear “authentic” have been used by historical re-enactors to evoke a realistic interpretation of the past.