Well today several dealers in Antique Indian Art here in Santa Fe said it is a Pomo shell belt. From just north of San Francisco, near Santa Rosa California north to Ukiah and west to Clear Lake California.

I found a similar belt on the web site of Museum of the American Indian in DC in their online data base

https://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=Pomo+shell+belt

This was some interesting research today and it seems this is new material to most members of BCN I am glad to share what I have.

On a technical note the belt has 147 rows of 9 shell beads for a total of 1,323 beads. Many many hours. They all appear to be pumped drilled. Conical holes. The beads are slightly irregular in shape and in thickness as well.Great patina nice smooth exterior surfaces. Well worn beads.

I will now wait for the report from the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah California regarding the belt and it ethnographic use.

I was told the belt is very rare and I could only find one in all my searching. Museum in DC was only because I decided to look at their data base. It did not pop up on google.

I will now find some information about their tribal uses and share with the BCN

now we can put those questions to rest and thanks for BCN members input all of them.

sincerely from Walter Anderson