Gilcrease Museum is temporarily closed for construction.

Get the Full Story
Man's vest with alternate twisted silk ribbon work
Julia Winningham
Man's vest with alternate twisted silk ribbon work
Julia Winningham

Osage straight dance leggings and breechcloths with green, yellow, red, and purple ribbon in diamond patterns / Terry Williams

Essay/Description

A-B - The pair of leggings are black with a trip of green, yellow, red, and purple ribbon in diamond patterns along the length of each legging. A purple strip of ribbon borders the base of each legging.
C-D - The front and back breech clothes are black and navy. Each have two strips of green, yellow, red, and purple ribbon in diamond patterns on each side of the length. This outfit was worn with 84.3602.

Curatorial Remarks

Ribbon work one with silk strips then attached to wool pieces. Silk ribbon work. There are other public events besides dances that Osage wear their Indian clothes. Monty Chesawalla (Modoc name) was the director of the Osage Tribal Museum and she told me that back in the 1930's Osage women would just sit around and create ribbon strips. These strips would then be kept so they could be attached to something later.

Tags: wool, silk
People: Osage
Places: Southern Plains, Oklahoma
Purpose: ceremonial, public events, dances

From interviews with Dr. Garrick Bailey, 2018-2020 University of Tulsa, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology

You may be interested in...

Title(s): 
Osage straight dance leggings and breechcloths with green, yellow, red, and purple ribbon in diamond patterns
Culture: 
Native American; Osage
Date: 
1980s
Period: 
Historic
Materials/Techniques: 
wool, satin, hide
Object Type: 
Credit Line: 
Gift from the Collection of Terry L. Williams
Accession No: 
84.3601a-d
Previous Number(s): 
TL2014.20.7.1; TL2014.20.8.2; TL2014.20.8.1; TL2014.20.7.2
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.