Brooklyn Museum Collection

This hammer has hide totally covering the wood handle and around the part that holds the stone to the handle. The tapered, grey stone hammer is chipped on one end. The other end has a rounded tip to it. There is one groove around the head at both ends.The condition on this one is a slightly chipped stone but it is nicely carved. This might have had a decorative horsetail hanging from it. Such clubs were used in dances before a hunt and had symbolic and ceremonial function not a war function. Members of a society carried these as badges of honor and emblems of office.

Otter skin tied with hide possibly as a pendent. There is no evidence of any scalp lock attached. Designation comes from original purchase book by curator Stewart Culin. According to Sean Standing Bear 10/24/2000) the hair attached to it is buffalo "fluff."

Brooklyn Museum Collection

Brooklyn Museum Collection

The trailer consists of brown otter fur lengthened by the addition of a lighter fur that is cloth backed. It is attached to a ring of 28 bear claws circled with blue beads on the outer edge and fur on the neck edge. There is a rosette part way down the trailer, made from reeds and cloth with a feather attached to the center.This necklace was purchased from Sahe (Osage).

Hide leggings with double strand fringe at outside edge and at center thigh. Beadwork decoration along border predominantly in white, alternating with red crosses, light blue and yellow diagonals. This border wraps around to the back of the lower edge. The Inner calf leg has ^ forms, perhaps feathers?, in different colors of beads.

Arapaho parfleche bag with painted stripes and diamond-shaped figures in red, green, blue and yellow. Condition is good. Hide somewhat stiff. The Arapaho believed that Whirlwind Woman, a mystical woman, taught them how to make their designs. The six spots around the hide are where Whirlwind Woman sat down when painting the design. The white rectangles or squares are symbolic of where the buffalo came into the world. The bar inside the edges is often seen in Arapaho designs. The black triangular figures are called Wal-say-dad or bear hands whether they do or do not show any claws. Arapaho parfleches often have a large amount of unpainted surface like this one and the use of sky-blue or green is the favorite color choice. The black used in outlining often came from the Cheyenne along the Powder River area. Arapaho women often were specialists in making certain types of things such as this bag. The buffalo hair side is turned inside but with hair removed. The bag would be used for food stuffs, such as dried meats, dried cherries, fat back and peppermint leaves, often stored for long times as emergency rations. It could also be used for other things; clothes, or feathers from headdresses. Former number 67954.1

This ax might have been made for sale because inlaying the turquoise was something done usually only for trade. The other possibility is it was used solely for dance. However, this type was made throughout the Plains area. The stick has been spilt and encompasses the entire stone and then the hide is wrapped around the handle securing it. Has a tag that reads "Indian stone hammer"