Woman's Dress

ca. 1855

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Cross motifs on the yoke of this elaborately beaded dress symbolize a religious concept—possibly the four winds, the four cardinal directions, or the Morning Star. Turtle, a creature of Lakota myth that is closely associated with female power, is represented in the U-shaped form in the center. The profusion of costly blue trade beads in the ornamentation of the dress implies the owner was wealthy. The dress has a full skirt that allowed the wearer to ride a horse.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Woman's Dress
Date: ca. 1855
Geography: United States
Culture: Central Plains, probably Lakota
Medium: Native-tanned leather, glass beads, brass bells
Dimensions: Length: 69 3/8 in. (176.2 cm)
Width: 57 7/8 in. (147 cm)
Classification: Hide-Costumes
Credit Line: National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (050958.000)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing