Willie Scott Bridge outfit / bead research

AJLoCascio

AJLoCascio

Sr Member
Hey!

Was doing some basic research on Willie Scott's sacrificial dress - particularly the bridge outfit. Found a DAMN close pattern with Simplicity 5359

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BUT was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on terminology I should be using to search for the beads across the dress- particularly the belt area. I know with the Jack Sparrow bead community of madness ANY bead can be tracked down and even those little bells I recognize from my Jack Sparrow days.

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You can see these sort of Tiki-shaped clasps below held together by rings... Would anyone have a lead on where to look or what kind of search term I should be using outside of "Belly dancer beads"

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Fortune and Glory!
-AJ
 

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Not a huge update, but found some decent ribbon and belts fro the costume. I was hunting for a 100% match... but that was absolutely fruitless.
I went with this pattern for the beaded trim, will likely crop it to 2.5 inches:

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And these little 8mm flowers that there are hundreds of all over the pants and shirt:

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A fun little annoying discovery is while I was analyzing the shirt I noticed that for some ridiculous reason there are actually a 2nd later of bigger silver flower beads UNDER the shirt. I can't understand why this is and probably wont replicate that aspect of it, but it's there... just to make me crazy.


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Yo can see it a bit here as well:
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I found some pretty decent substitutes and some good close-but-not-quite options looking for "Indian brass charms" and connectors for macrame. If it's actually brass, it may be an issue to find the real thing. If it's not, then this bead, charm, connector, or whatever it is, would be pretty easy to make from pewter. Laborious and tedious to cast as many as you need, but easy to manufacture.
 
PoopaPapaPalps said:
I found some pretty decent substitutes and some good close-but-not-quite options looking for "Indian brass charms" and connectors for macrame. If it's actually brass, it may be an issue to find the real thing. If it's not, then this bead, charm, connector, or whatever it is, would be pretty easy to make from pewter. Laborious and tedious to cast as many as you need, but easy to manufacture.
Click to expand...

What kind od substitutes? And It would definitely be tedious as hell to make... but that is the fun part!!!
 
AJLoCascio said:
. Would anyone have a lead on where to look or what kind of search term I should be using outside of "Belly dancer beads"
Click to expand...

Use the term "kamarband" or "kamarbandh" , that's the generic term for the decorative waist belt. And the bells are "ghungroo".
 
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AJLoCascio said:
What kind od substitutes? And It would definitely be tedious as hell to make... but that is the fun part!!!
Click to expand...

If you're looking for brass hardware, this was one example of a "good enough" substitute I came across: 219. It has somewhat similar pattern placement once you flip it upside down (and squint really hard).


But the real piece in question itself looks to just be a flat piece with very simple designs (even with the monkey relief). It would be very easy to produce these in pot metal. I may just have to make one bead just to get it out of my system, now. Making or finding the proper links to connect all of the pieces to make two whole belts is a completely different story.
 
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This is really helpful! Thank you!!!
Lightning said:
Use the term "kamarband" or "kamarbandh" , that's the generic term for the decorative waist belt. And the bells are "ghungroo".
Click to expand...

PoopaPapaPalps said:
If you're looking for brass hardware, this was one example of a "good enough" substitute I came across: 219. It has somewhat similar pattern placement once you flip it upside down (and squint really hard).


But the real piece in question itself looks to just be a flat piece with very simple designs (even with the monkey relief). It would be very easy to produce these in pot metal. I may just have to make one bead just to get it out of my system, now. Making or finding the proper links to connect all of the pieces to make two whole belts is a completely different story.
Click to expand...
That is really interesting! I started drafting up the shape in illustrator to turn into a 3d file with tinkercad. This is just a fun obsession at this point. I could always cast one or maybe have some made by the charm-maker you just sent!

Here is what I drafted up in 2d That is an "idealized" version since the ones on the belt are wildly inconsistent.
 

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The reliefs on the charms look, to me, to be a monkey inside a spade shape over a vase with some kind of flower in it. A lotus, perhaps? It is the national flower of India and works with the motif. I can vaguely make out the details of petals on a few of them. It could just be three round shapes with holes in them. Without better photos, who can say?

The second belt made with connectors is likely a leaf pattern in the center of two hook loops. It's raised on top of them and the loop for the bells, too. I have some spare metal at the moment, as well as some quick molding supplies. I may just sculpt a few pieces to cast just to see how they turn out, if I can figure a rough size estimate to these. 25 to 30 mm?

The larger bead in question also look to be die cut and the patterns stamped onto it afterwards, possibly by hand. They're all over the place per bead.
 
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