North America, Canada, ca. early 19th century CE. A beautiful, rare artifact, a hand-worked silver Celtic-style openwork cross made by the silversmith Charles Arnaldi (1779 to 1817 CE) of the Montreal Hudson Bay Fur Company. The surface of the cross is stamped with hallmarks - "CA" for Arnaldi, "HB" with a beaver over the letters, the hallmark of the Company, and, at the bottom, its place of manufacture, "MONTREAL". Tiny flourishes form a border, and there is an inlaid piece of bright red glass in the center. A strand of ninety-six deep red trade beads, one-third faceted and hexagonal, the other two-thirds smaller and cylindrical, completes the item and matches the color of the glass inlay on the cross. Two egg-shaped silver beads are at the end of the chain, near where it meets the cross. Size: 15.5" L (of strand); 3.85" W x 5.1" H (39.4 cm; 9.8 cm x 13 cm).

Trade silver and trade beads were used by Europeans to form economic relationships with indigenous people in North America during the period of the fur trade. They were excellent currency, because they were easy to carry long distances. Competition between trading companies was fierce, especially during the early 19th century, then the Hudson's Bay Company competed with the North West Company, which had built a series of forts from the St. Lawrence River to the Rocky Mountains. The North West Company also innovated by beginning to trade silver items, forcing the Hudson's Bay Company to do the same. This is a fantastic item for anyone interested in First Nations history, frontier history, or Canadian history!

Provenance: private R. D. collection, Long Beach, California, USA collection, acquired over twenty five years from various major galleries

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#124300

Slight tarnish on cross. Light scratching and wear on bead surfaces from handling.