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.

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.

Made of heavily smoked skin sewn with sinew, the vamps of these moccasins are decorated with a delicate, quillwork design. A central, vertically oriented, diamond shape in red is surrounded by four diagonal leaf-like elements in blue. The tri-lobed petals at top are red at center, blue on each side. The lower petals are red at center, white on each side. The seam is also outlined with blue and white bird quills. The mocassins are constructed without the usual characteristic center seam running from the toe to a vamp. A heel seam, center to the cuff and bottom, ends in two short tabs.There is no evidence that these mocassins were ever worn. See Jarvis supplimental file in Arts of Americas' office.

This small axe charm has a grooved handle with a head made from quartz stone, carved and inlaid with turquoise.

Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund

The blue color of these high top shoes indicates they may have been worn by Kachina Dancers. The red fringe was colored by dye made from alder bark or rubbed iron oxide. Calcium carbonate might have created the blue color. A band of porcupine quills covers the heels.

The front of the headdress has a beaded headband in blue and white. From under the headband, trailing down the back is dyed red horse hair. Two long horns (beef horns) are on either side. A roach of bird skin and feathers is fastened to center of horsehair trailer. Four bands of dyed feathers are attached to a red wool trailer faced with cotton fabric that hangs down the back of the headdress. According to Sean Standing Bear 10/24/2000) the small concentric beaded circles on either side of the headdress are 'eyeballs.'

item is from the Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

item is from the Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

item is from the Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection