Mardi Gras Indians #3
by Diane Lent
Title
Mardi Gras Indians #3
Artist
Diane Lent
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Colorful Mardi Gras Indians parade in vivid colored feathered and beaded costumes in New Orleans.
Mardi Gras is full of secrets, and the Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secret society as any other carnival organization. The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the African-American communities of New Orleans' inner city. They have paraded for well over a century, yet their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition. The Mardi Gras Indians named themselves after native Indians to pay them respect for their assistance in escaping the tyranny of slavery. It was often local Indians who accepted slaves into their society when they made a break for freedom. They have never forgotten this support.
No one in the city dons more elaborate attire or takes costuming more seriously than Mardi Gras Indians do. Their fantastic costumes are unforgettable hand-sewn creations of intricate beadwork and dramatic images which rank among the nation's best folk art. Worn just once, the costumes take an entire year to create, with hundreds of thousands of beads, brightly dyed ostrich plumes, sequins, velvet and rhinestones sewn on by hand – some weighing as much as 150 pounds!
Uploaded
July 28th, 2013
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