Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs and split tongue with metal cone tassels
Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs and split tongue with metal cone tassels
Female with beaded cloth dress with selvage at arms and hem / Native American; Yakima
Essay/Description
Female. Cloth dress with selvage at arms and hem. Beaded bodice with row of looped bead fringe. Beaded belt in geometric designs. Selvage trimmed leggings. Ink drawn facial features. Braided 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).