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Beaded martingale for the shoulders of a horse with large bells attached / Native American; Crow

Essay/Description

Beaded ornament for the shoulders of a horse with large bells attached.

A horse represented a man’s success as a warrior, and, therefore, the more artistic and decorated the horse, the more prestige the warrior had. The elaborately beaded decorations also illustrated the importance of the horse to the Plains Indians. They relied on the horse for survival, status, and a method of gift-giving.

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Title(s): 
Beaded martingale for the shoulders of a horse with large bells attached
Culture: 
Native American; Crow
Date: 
19th century
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
Great Plains, United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
leather, glass, stroud cloth, metal bells, cotton
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Accession No: 
84.662
Department: 
Not On View

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