Gilcrease Museum is temporarily closed for construction.

Get the Full Story

Female with beaded cloth dress with selvage at arms and hem / Native American; Yakima

Essay/Description

Female. Cloth dress with selvage at arms and hem. Beaded bodice with row of looped bead fringe. Beaded belt in geometric designs. Selvage trimmed leggings. Ink drawn facial features. Braided hair.

Dolls were typically made for children to play with and were made to resemble humans, including tribal clothing and designs. Through play, the dolls “were used to communicate tribal values, practices, and customs” (Cotherman 2007, 24). Children learned how to prepare food, hunt, care for children, and make clothing by imitating adult behaviors in play. The clothing the dolls wore reflected the designs and patterns of that tribe or family tradition and often resembled human clothing the maker would create (Cotherman 2007).

You may be interested in...

Title(s): 
Female with beaded cloth dress with selvage at arms and hem
Culture: 
Native American; Yakima
Date: 
early 20th century
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
Washington, United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
hide, glass, cloth
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Accession No: 
84.912
Department: 
Not On View

Our Online Collections site is a work in progress. If you have information about this item that may be of assistance, please contact us.