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Peyote box with painted decorations / Johnny Hoof

Essay/Description

Tooled and painted leather box with edges and seams overstitched (edged) in black lacing. The box has a sky blue background overall. On the flap is the name of the owner "Harding Big Bow" tooled and painted yellow, orange, red, black, and cream in a rainbow across the name horizontally with cream dots at the middle of each letter. Border designs are red, pink, blue, and yellow. The front features to multicolored water birds in black, orange, green, gray, and white and two peyote cactus buttons in green, dark green, and white. The top has a leather strap handle secured with brass brads. Peyote buttons and geometric stars decorate the ends of the box and the top. The back of the box shows two figures in a peyote ritual scene (including buttons, a set of ritual instruments, an altar and a fireplace) situated outside in an abstract tooled with diamonds and painted black.

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Title(s): 
Peyote box with painted decorations
Creator(s): 
Johnny Hoof (Artist)
Harding Big Bow (Used by)
Culture: 
Native American; Arapaho (artist), Kiowa (user)
Date: 
mid-20th century
Place: 
Oklahoma
Materials/Techniques: 
hide, metal, paint
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Credit Line: 
Gift of Pearl Big Bow
Accession No: 
87.60
Previous Number(s): 
TL1997.73.1
Department: 
Not On View

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