Doll
Title
Doll
Subject
Indian dolls
Native American
Description
Handmade doll. The doll has a wooden head, wooden torso (believed to be one piece) and straw hips and legs; the doll does not have hands. The body of the doll is covered with coarse muslin or a very fine unbleached tightly woven canvas. The head has been stained a reddish brown. The eyes, nose, and mouth are carved. The eyebrows and eyelashes are painted on with black paint. Black horse hair has been used for hair and has a center part. The hair at the top of the head has been glued in place. There is a dark red kerchief covering the head. It is knotted under the chin.
The doll is wearing a dark blue dress with long sleeves over a long sleeved off-white shift. At the bottom of the skirt of the dress are four rows of silk ribbon: pink, green, red, and yellow. The doll is wearing green leggings/pants with beige cuffs. The doll has fully beaded moccasins. Background color on the moccasins is green with red and blue geometric designs.
Doll wears a leather belt with drops. The belt and one drop are decorated with brass tacks, another drop is made of white tube beads. Also attached to the belt are fully-beaded awl case with a cap, knife sheath, umbilical pouch, and purse. Purse has light blue background and the design is a red morning star with dark blue center. Awl has a light blue background. The cap to the awl case has same color background with two small rectangular dark blue spots on both front and back. The cap's seam is outlined in dark yellow beads. The awl case body has three stripes, gold, dark blue, gold and has a long beaded looped tassel of dark yellow, wide stripe of dark blue, and then more dark yellow. Sheath has light blue background with a geometric shaped dome and lower a vertical stripe. The dome is outlined in dark blue with the dark yellow center. The vertical stripe has the same colors. On the two upper corners and at the bottom point of the sheath are two beaded looped tassels. The colors are the same with the same stripe. The back of the sheath is not beaded and is unadorned. The umbilical pouch is in the shape of a stylized diamond. Colors are alternating light blue and dark blue. On the side and bottom points of the diamond-shaped pouch are beaded looped tassels of dark yellow beads. There is a long stylized breast plate or necklace of alternating rows of red and white beads. The red beads are very round and the white are tubular.
The unknown maker likely traded the doll for supplies with the donor’s grandparents O. C. and Edith Worthy Johnson, who operated the “Fad,” the first general store in Wolf Point.
The doll is wearing a dark blue dress with long sleeves over a long sleeved off-white shift. At the bottom of the skirt of the dress are four rows of silk ribbon: pink, green, red, and yellow. The doll is wearing green leggings/pants with beige cuffs. The doll has fully beaded moccasins. Background color on the moccasins is green with red and blue geometric designs.
Doll wears a leather belt with drops. The belt and one drop are decorated with brass tacks, another drop is made of white tube beads. Also attached to the belt are fully-beaded awl case with a cap, knife sheath, umbilical pouch, and purse. Purse has light blue background and the design is a red morning star with dark blue center. Awl has a light blue background. The cap to the awl case has same color background with two small rectangular dark blue spots on both front and back. The cap's seam is outlined in dark yellow beads. The awl case body has three stripes, gold, dark blue, gold and has a long beaded looped tassel of dark yellow, wide stripe of dark blue, and then more dark yellow. Sheath has light blue background with a geometric shaped dome and lower a vertical stripe. The dome is outlined in dark blue with the dark yellow center. The vertical stripe has the same colors. On the two upper corners and at the bottom point of the sheath are two beaded looped tassels. The colors are the same with the same stripe. The back of the sheath is not beaded and is unadorned. The umbilical pouch is in the shape of a stylized diamond. Colors are alternating light blue and dark blue. On the side and bottom points of the diamond-shaped pouch are beaded looped tassels of dark yellow beads. There is a long stylized breast plate or necklace of alternating rows of red and white beads. The red beads are very round and the white are tubular.
The unknown maker likely traded the doll for supplies with the donor’s grandparents O. C. and Edith Worthy Johnson, who operated the “Fad,” the first general store in Wolf Point.
Date
ca. 1900
Identifier
2013.20.07
/2013 20 07 Indian doll (front).tif
Materials
Cotton/Brass/Glass beads/Leather/Silk/Straw/Wood
Height (inches)
35.43
Width (inches)
17.32
Cultural Affiliation
Assiniboine
Source
Montana Historical Society Museum Collection
Credit
Gift of OC & Edith Johnson, Don & Betty Johnson of Wolf Point, MT