With its red, black and white beadwork and red and white striped fabric, this Apache-made toy cradleboard is a folky, yet eye-popping example of a Native American art. The piece is constructed of deer hide and what looks like bent willow for the bonnet or hood.
The primitive and somewhat fragile doll is a simple piece of carved wood wrapped in red and white striped cotton with single beads for the eyes and mouth and a fistful of yarn for hair. A scrap of printed red linen serves as bedding and beadwork holds the doll in place. As the photos show, the cradleboard has some bead loss and wear but is in overall good condition.
Dating from the early 20th century, the cradleboard was acquired before 1930 by a collector named Harry Schoff. It changed hands in the 1930s and again in 1948 when the new owner presented it to his daughter as a gift. The piece was in storage from 1960 to 2014 when it was once again on the market. J Compton Gallery acquired it a year later.
13” L x 5” W x 4-3/4” H. C. 1900-1910.
SOLD