Kiowa, Oklahoma
AmericanCradleboard, ca. 1880
Not on view
Wool cloth, canvas, cotton, glass beads, hide, silver chains, walnut boards, and German silver conchos
Dimensions10 15/16 × 41 15/16 × 13 1/16 in. (27.8 × 106.5 × 33.2 cm)
Museum purchase from the Chandler/Pohrt Collection, 1985.27
Described as “a house for the beginning of life,” this baby carrier is an elegant reminder of the nomadic lifestyle of many Native American tribes. Carriers developed by the Kiowa tribe—who migrated to the southern Great Plains—are regarded as the most spectacular. The broad surface of the cover provided an ideal area for beadwork. The Kiowa were known for their highly individualized and imaginative designs in a multitude of colors.
