Aqua Jingles

Jingle study, 24×36, Acrylic on watercolor paper, by Leana Asher.

Jingle Dresses are decorated with rolled up snuff can lids that are hung with ribbon. The ribbon is then sewed to the dress, as the dancer passes around the circle it is said to resemble the sound of rain. This is part of a series of paintings I  dedicate to the original story of the jingle dress.

• The Jingle Dress, also known as a Prayer Dress, is considered to bring healing to those who are sick. As mentioned above, the dance gets its name from the rows of ziibaaska’iganan (metal cones) sowed to the dresses. These cones are traditionally made from rolled snuff can lids and hung from the dress with ribbon close to one another, so they make a melodic sound as the girls and women dance. Nowadays, these cones are often machine-made.

The Jingle Dress dancers are a beautiful sight to watch and to hear. Unlike other forms of pow wow dancing, the dresses make a very distinctive sound that is evocative to listen to, especially when it’s happening in unison. The footwork is light, nimble and close to the ground. The dancer moves either forward or backward in a zig-zag formation. Click here to see more women’s dresses

For more information check out www.powwows.com