Old West & Native American Auction
Lot 1160:
Description
This is an umbilical fetish, likely from Sioux or other Plains Indian tribes. Partially diamond shaped, it is adorned with glass seed beads of different colors including: blue, red, yellow, dark blue, and green. The fetish has small cowry shells attached to all corners on beaded strings. Traditionally made for infants to hold their dried umbilical cord, they were believed to offer protection and connect the child to the spirit world. The shape and design of the fetish represented an animal whose traits the family wished for the child to possess. Dimensions: 7”x9.5” x1” outstretched. See photos.
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