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Paint Pouch

Artist/Maker
Datelate 19th–early 20th century
MediumLeather and beads
DimensionsOverall: 7 1/4 × 2 × 1 in. (18.4 × 5.1 × 2.5 cm)
Credit LineGift of the Oberlin College Department of Zoology
Object number1957.122
Status
Not on view
More Information
Colorful beadwork designs were common in the work of female Plains artists, and many groups used distinct stitches and color combinations. Cheyenne artists particularly favored triangular designs created with dark blue, yellow, or red on a white background. Beadwork was incorporated into many objects of daily life. Pouches and cradles were some of the most finely beaded objects created by Plains Indian women. The pouch here would have hung from a woman’s belt as a container for face paint, the beadwork a testament to the importance of art in daily life. Miniature beaded cradles were made as toys for young girls to learn and mimic childcare. They were often made by a female relative and were as intricately beaded as full-size cradles.
Exhibition History
American Indian Art of the Plains and Southwest
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (April 11, 1978 - April 30, 1978 )
Art and Life in Early America
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (September 2, 2014 - June 28, 2015 )
Collections
  • Americas
This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator. Noticed a mistake? Have some extra information about this object? Please contact us.