Maidu Style Toy Cradleboard and Doll

Object/Artifact

-

DPR Collections

Name/Title

Maidu Style Toy Cradleboard and Doll

Description

Miniature Northern Maidu-style cradleboard and doll made by Craig Bates based on instruction from Marie Potts. Attached is a tag hand made by Craig describing the materials on one side and a photocopy of an old photograph of a Maidu family with a woman holding a similar cradleboard.

Use

Child's toy

Made/Created

Artist Information

Craig Bates
Marie Potts

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Region

Central California

Continent

North America

Culture/Tribe

Maidu
Native American

Dimensions

Height

1-1/2 in

Width

4 in

Length

8-3/8 in

Materials

Material

Willow, Oak, Leather - smoked deer hide, Mink pelt, Clam Shell Disc Beads, Incense Cedar Wood

Material Notes

The frame of the cradleboard is made with a small peeled oak "Y" shaped branch, with one end bent around and bound to the other. The slats, made of peeled willow rods, are attached to the frame with a thong of smoked deer hide. The body of the doll consists of a carved piece of incense cedar, with clamshell disk eyes tied on through the wood. The doll is wrapped in a piece of mink pelt and is tied to the cradleboard with a thong of smoked deer hide. Craig noted that the shell beads used for the doll's eyes are Pomo clamshell beads.

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Marie Potts

Notes

Craig learned this style of doll from Marie.