Gauntlets

Gauntlets

c. 1880
Culture
Blackfeet
Object
glove, gauntlet, pair
Medium
Beaded leather with silk trim
Accession Number
1936.68A-B
Credit Line
Funds from Page Thibodeaux

Northern Plains Artist, Montana, Gauntlets, about 1880. Hide, beads, and ribbon, Each 15¼ × 6½ in. (38.7 × 16.5 cm), Funds from Page Thibodeaux, 1936.68A-B

Dimensions
length: 15 1/4 in, 38.735 cm; width: 6 in, 15.24 cm
Department
Native Arts
Collection
Indigenous Arts of North America
This object is currently on view

Introduced around 1870 via U.S. military uniforms, gauntlets (protective gloves) were adapted by Native women for personal use and sale. While Indigenous North Americans adjusted their tailoring to European styles in their everyday lives, they proudly continued to wear markers of their indigeneity for special occasions, ceremonies, and community events. Gloves like these bore witness to this pride and to the commitment of Native women to clothe their family members in ways that continued artistic and cultural legacies.