This shirt is constructed with very little tailoring. It is left open at the sides and a triangular bib is sewn on at the neck. This bib is decorated with blue pony beads, patterned with rows of triangles. Strips made of porcupine quillwork and maidenhair fern stems have been placed on the arms, shoulders and as epaulets. Long buckskin fringes have been added at the sides of the shirt, the bottom, and the sleeves. The shirt is dyed a yellowish-orange color. On the proper right side, many narrow, brown, horizontal bands that are bisected at one end have been painted. These have been said to stand for horse whips. On the proper left, four hourglass shapes, almost completely filled in with black, have been painted. They have been said to stand for cloth or blankets. The triangular neck flap is beaded somewhat differently from front to back. The front shows two rows of triangles whereas the back includes a third row that contains two triangles. The blue beads visually square off the pointed end of the skin and are similar to the design on Jarvis shirt 50.67.1a.

Along the outside edge of each legging is a strip of quillwork, with red, a white and a purplish-brown stripe. The strip is edged on one side with blue pony beads and on the other with white seed beads. The back of each legging is decorated with horizontal brown painted stripes. Side tabs at the top are sewn on separately, as are the flaps for the heels.

The object is the shirt of a Yanktonai Sioux Man. It matches leggings #50.67.3b-c. It is constructed of soft light tan pliable leather. The sides of the shirt are open and have leather thongs to lace them together. The lower edge of the shirt is cut into short rectangles like a fringe. The large triangular bibs frame the neck, one at the front of the shirt, and one at the back, and are decorated with red and black dots. The neck is decorated with dark blue cut glass beads spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. The lower edges of the shirt, the sleeve cuffs, and the triangular neckpieces are decorated with diamond-shaped perforations in lines, triangles and face patterns. There is a porcupine quill medallion in the center of the chest at the bottom point of the triangle. It is made up of concentric rings of red, blue, yellow, brown, and white plaited quills. The seams of the shoulders and the sleeves are decorated with leather fringes and red and blue quills wrapped around hair bundles. Among some tribes it is believed that hair carries some of the characteristics of the person or animal from which it comes. Therefore, using hair in clothing may give the wearer additional strength, speed, or another positive attribute. Each sleeve is decorated on the underside with a series of seven black lines. The body of the shirt is also decorated with drawings of hunting scenes that include horses, a bison, and spears. Holes in the leather are backed with red stroud cloth. Stroud cloth is a coarse, close-weave wool textile that was imported from England and commonly used among Native Americans in garments and blankets. Red was the most frequently used color although navy and green were also produced and traded, and the colored selvedges were often prized as decorative elements. The shirt is in stable condition. There is old insect damage to the medallion quills. Many of the quills are faded. Also, some of the red stroud cloth patches have old insect damage. A leather tassel is torn along decorative perforations. See additional material in Jarvis report in Arts of Americas' files.

Eagle Dancer (Kwahu) Kachina Doll. Figure is carved from one piece of cottonwood root. He stands with PR arm raised and PL arm lower with both outstretched with pair of 'eagle' wings on arms and back. Chest is ½ yellow and ½ blue over pink painted body. Arms from elbow to wrist have the opposite colors from the chest. Legs are painted to match the chest. He wears a carved white kilt. He wears a blue and white beaded necklace. The helmet style mask has large, disk-like red ears with cotton stuffed near his head where they are attached and turquoise bead loop earrings. He has a feathered headdress in back on his head. His PR foot is raised. Both feet hare barefoot. His beak is open and you can see his red tongue. Wears a fur ruff around his neck. The eagle dance is a prayer for good crops, rain, and plentiful eagle feathers as their feathers are important in many ceremonies because the bird is thought to be sacred. This Kachina usually appears in a group of several forming a dance troop, squawking and imitating eagle behavior while the Koyemshi (mudhead clowns) sing to them. The sponsoring kiva must fast, abstain from sex, and no eating of salty or fatty foods before the dance.

The high heeled tennis shoes, size 6, used for the base are made by shoe designer Steve Madden. Then the artist, Teri Greeves, hand sews all the beads and original design elements onto the canvas base. The design is inspired by the Great Lakes tribes’ designs, as Teri's husband, furniture designer, Dennis Esquival, is Anishinabe and she wanted to do something that reflects his region. Floral motifs, in complimentary colors are on the inside panel of each shoe with a coral, spiny oyster shell cabochon forming the center of each flower. The outside panels depict contemporary jingle dress dancers swaying to the throbbing drums and singing that accompanies these popular dances performed during powwows. During these dances each woman competes not only in dance performance but in over-all quality and beauty of their dance regalia. Before the 1830s the jingles on these dresses would have been made from porcupine quills but this material changed sometime in the mid-1800s to commercially traded tobacco can lids, rolled into cones. When prolifically sewn on to the dresses every movement would make them jingle. Each woman depicted on these shoes wears full regalia, inclusive of beaded dress, moccasins, and a belt with real silver conchos. This detailed beadwork melds traditional technique with modern day commerce into a lively, fun and remarkable sense of contemporary aesthetics. The shoes can stand alone as aesthetic sculptural works or as examples of creative change over time.

This is a wooden figure with only a body, shoulders and head. It has a rectangular torso, round head set on a narrow neck and V-shaped shoulders. It wears a beaded necklace and earrings. The eyes are two small slits. Two thirds of the face is lightly painted, the remainder dark. The torso has two vertical stripes. Although the description says with small bird, none is present.

This sculpture is painted wood with a beaded necklace and small abalone shell pendant. Although title says with bird, none is present.

Bequest of W.S. Morton Mead

Gift or jewel basket with woven design of black and tan. Black and red feathers are ribbed into the weave and white shell beads are sewn into the side of the basket.

Charles Stewart Smith Memorial Fund