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Female doll with buckskin dress, beaded shoulders and bodice with geometric designs / Native American; Sioux

Essay/Description

Female. Buckskin dress, beaded shoulders and bodice with geometric designs. Fringed sleeves, dress sides and hem. Dyed quillwork belt and leggings. Beaded footwear. Beaded facial features. Human hair. Beaded medallions with thongs at skirt front.

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).

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Title(s): 
Female doll with buckskin dress, beaded shoulders and bodice with geometric designs
Culture: 
Native American; Sioux
Date: 
late 19th century
Period: 
Historic
Place: 
Great Plains, United States of America
Materials/Techniques: 
hide, glass, quill, hair
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Accession No: 
84.902
Previous Number(s): 
8426.902
Department: 
Not On View

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