Ska-ba-quay Tesson facts for kids

Ska-ba-quay Tesson (ca. 1846 – 1929) also known as A Ski Ba Qua and Mrs. Joseph Tesson) was a Meskwaki artist who is known for her textile art.

Biography

Tesson was born around 1846 and was part of the Meskwaki group of Native Americans. When items were purchased from her, she was living in Tama, Iowa. Tesson acted as a cultural informant for anthropologists studying her people.

Work

Tesson's work, a yarn bag (c. 1900), in the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York was attributed specifically to her, rather than to her tribal affiliation in 2010. Her textile work consisted of twined storage bags that had a tapestry-like appearance. Her work was based on traditional methods of weaving using nettle fiber and buffalo wool, but also incorporated new designs. Tesson also made bags using buckskin and porcupine quills.