Blanket strip

The cross within a circle, the principal design element on this blanket strip, is one of the most visually powerful motifs in Plains art; it symbolizes the circle of the world, the four directions, and the sacred center—concepts fundamental to Plains worldviews. The massive strip also conveys wealth and prestige. The beading is a blend of shorter lane-stitch rows and the longer spot-stitch method, resulting in thousands of contrasting blue and white antique beads affixed to the leather. As glass beads became more plentiful through trade in the early decades of the nineteenth century, artists increasingly used them to present community affiliations, connections to place, or status.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Blanket strip
  • Date: ca. 1830
  • Geography: Made in Central Plains, United States
  • Culture: Central Plains, probably Lakota/Teton Sioux, Native American
  • Medium: Tanned leather and glass beads
  • Dimensions: 10 3/4 × 66 15/16 in. (27.3 × 170 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 2021
  • Object Number: 2021.434.8
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.