american indian art

Boy’s Cradleboard

Beadwork is an important art form among Plains tribes. The white background, bold figures, and stepped triangles created with imported glass beads were popular design elements on Sioux and Cheyenne cradleboards from the late 1800s. The figures of horses mark this as a boy’s cradleboard and express the hope that its occupant will own many horses when he grows up.

Pre-Columbian Art