Though the tradition of beading and decorating items had been practiced for generations, the early interactions between the Haudenosaunee and the Western settlers and travellers in the early 17th century began to meld the design work, tastes, and skills of Haudenosaunee makers. Beaders had developed an important new source of income, as small delicate handbags, featuring a plethora of beads on rich velvets in stitched, raised lines depicting flora and fauna became a staple item for trade, alongside pin cushions, small padded frames, and souvenirs geared towards tourists. In this example, the more recognizable seed beads take a back seat to the more present bugle beads, both rounded and faceted. Opaque smooth bugle beads line the bag's body and upper flaps, providing an anchor to the design that sits above a red silk binding, while clear glass faceted bugle beads sit in a jumble against each other in a dense crowd. Flowers peek out from the sea of glass, both as a delicate (by comparison) border on the upper flaps, and as large, colourful buds. This bag's maker had a liberal and generous hand to their design, despite the small canvas, as the weight of the decoration adds to the richness of the final product.