Relics of the American West: 1850-1920
Lot 2005:
Description
This exceptional Plains-style umbilical fetish, most likely of Lakota (Sioux) or Northern Cheyenne origin, is a classic protective amulet traditionally crafted to house a child’s umbilical cord. In many Plains cultures, lizards or salamanders were chosen for boys to represent speed and survival—qualities often attributed to the creature’s ability to evade capture and regenerate its tail. The beadwork is executed in a tight lazy-stitch (lane stitch) technique, featuring a vibrant palette of forest green, chalk white, and “greasy” pink seed beads. The side panels are bordered with a row of turquoise blue, a common design element in late 19th to early 20th-century Central Plains beadwork. The “tail” is expertly finished with twin tin cones (jingles) containing dyed red horsehair tassels, intended to make a soft rhythmic sound as the child moved. This specimen is in museum-quality condition; the brain-tanned buckskin remains remarkably supple with only minor, age-appropriate surface soiling, and the beadwork shows no visible loss or loose threads. L 9″, W 3″, D 1.5″ Please see photos.
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