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Wooden painted Osage cradleboard / Unknown

Essay/Description

This is a wooden cradleboard with a head frame. There is a rawhide tie at the foot of the board that passes through two drilled holes at either edge. The head frame is lined with blue broadcloth and decorated with beadwork along the outer edge. The beadwork design is a white background with red and blue floral pieces that alternate. Attached to the center of the top of the head frame are seven hide ties with brass bells attached. Where the head frame attaches to the back board, there is a strip of dark red and white plaid cloth wrapped around the base of the frame. At the juncture of the frame there are three beaded strips of a white background with red and blue designs and red wool tassels on the ends. These beaded strips appear on both sides. The top portion of the wooden back board is decorated in a geometric pattern that has been carved into the board and then painted red, yellow, green, and white. This design features three large green x-shapes with red circles in the center with the circles and the x-shapes outlined in white. There are brass tacks down the center of the x-shapes and along the edge of the board. In between the x-shapes there are two yellow triangles. There is a strip of dark blue broadcloth with yellow on its end that is attached on either side of the back board where the head frame is attached. There is a woven strip of red, yellow, and blue yarn with white beaded designs that goes with this cradleboard.

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Title(s): 
Wooden painted Osage cradleboard
Creator(s): 
Unknown
Culture: 
Native American; Osage
Date: 
19th century - 20th century
Materials/Techniques: 
wood, paint, glass beads, copper alloy bells and tacks, wool, semi-tanned hide, synthetic fabric (or possibly silk), cotton thread
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Credit Line: 
Ben Stone Collection
Accession No: 
84.626
Previous Number(s): 
8426.626; 10474
Department: 
Not On View

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