Female. Buckskin dress with beaded arms and bodice of geometric designs. Beadwork designs at hem and skirt center. Beaded boots. Leather belt with beaded tail. String 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).

Generic Plains style; not Western Apache or Chiricahua Apache. This doll was most likely made for a little girl in the late 19th century.

Tags: high top moccasins, beadwork
Places: Plains
Purpose: domestic use

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