Young Girl’s Dress
Date
1879-1881
Creator
Location
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
According to its descriptive tag, this beautifully beaded girl’s dress—or cuozichost (Lindesmith’s spelling) in Cheyenne—dates from before 1883, the year Lindesmith bought it from Wolf Voice, a Cheyenne U.S. Army scout, for twenty-five dollars. In his notes, the chaplain explained: "[S]ince the railroad came here and the Indians can buy cloth, calico, and blankets, etc. they have partly done away with this kind of dress. P.S. But in the tobacco and at the squaw dances it is always worn." Two deerskins were sewn together, with the hind legs forming the bodice and sleeves. The cut of the sleeves—tapered at the ends and slightly curved along the inner seam—is typical of both Cheyenne and Lakota dresses. The bottom of the garment more closely follows the cut of Cheyenne dresses. Fringe embellishes the sleeves and bottom. Wolf Voice’s wife, a Cheyenne woman named Ameche, sewed the Italian glass beads onto the bodice using the so-called lane stitch technique. Although each bead row lines up with those above and below it, the beads themselves do not lie flat, as they do in most Cheyenne beadwork. The kind of solid beading on the bodice seen here did not emerge until the mid-1870s, when seed beads were readily available; rarely is it seen on dresses made by Cheyenne bead workers, as on this one. Several of the design motifs mimic those found on Lakota dresses. The medium-blue background with the narrow band of beadwork forming the border is said by old-time bead workers to symbolize a lake. The designs within the blue field may represent stars and clouds. The U-shaped figure in the center of the lower bodice symbolizes a turtle, and the red double crosses represent dragonflies; both are considered to have protective power for women. The red stepped triangle with navy-blue and yellow lines are filled with two rectangles in navy blue and white, an allusion to Sweet Medicine’s Cave in Bear Butte, the central religious site for the Cheyenne. The crosses in the blue field consist of two color lines, navy blue and red, that intersect and are filled with yellow boxes—a Cheyenne design motif. from Mack, Father Lindesmith's Collection: History into Art and Anthropology (Notre Dame, 2012)
![According to its descriptive tag, this beautifully beaded girl’s dress—or cuozichost (Lindesmith’s spelling) in Cheyenne—dates from before 1883, the year Lindesmith bought it from Wolf Voice, a Cheyenne U.S. Army scout, for twenty-five dollars. In his notes, the chaplain explained: "[S]ince the railroad came here and the Indians can buy cloth, calico, and blankets, etc. they have partly done away with this kind of dress. P.S. But in the tobacco and at the squaw dances it is always worn."
Two deerskins were sewn together, with the hind legs forming the bodice and sleeves. The cut of the sleeves—tapered at the ends and slightly curved along the inner seam—is typical of both Cheyenne and Lakota dresses. The bottom of the garment more closely follows the cut of Cheyenne dresses. Fringe embellishes the sleeves and bottom. Wolf Voice’s wife, a Cheyenne woman named Ameche, sewed the Italian glass beads onto the bodice using the so-called lane stitch technique. Although each bead row lines up with those above and below it, the beads themselves do not lie flat, as they do in most Cheyenne beadwork. The kind of solid beading on the bodice seen here did not emerge until the mid-1870s, when seed beads were readily available; rarely is it seen on dresses made by Cheyenne bead workers, as on this one.
Several of the design motifs mimic those found on Lakota dresses. The medium-blue background with the narrow band of beadwork forming the border is said by old-time bead workers to symbolize a lake. The designs within the blue field may represent stars and clouds. The U-shaped figure in the center of the lower bodice symbolizes a turtle, and the red double crosses represent dragonflies; both are considered to have protective power for women. The red stepped triangle with navy-blue and yellow lines are filled with two rectangles in navy blue and white, an allusion to Sweet Medicine’s Cave in Bear Butte, the central religious site for the Cheyenne. The crosses in the blue field consist of two color lines, navy blue and red, that intersect and are filled with yellow boxes—a Cheyenne design motif.
from Mack, Father Lindesmith's Collection: History into Art and Anthropology (Notre Dame, 2012)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2FAA1899.002%2Faa1899_002-v0002%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![According to its descriptive tag, this beautifully beaded girl’s dress—or cuozichost (Lindesmith’s spelling) in Cheyenne—dates from before 1883, the year Lindesmith bought it from Wolf Voice, a Cheyenne U.S. Army scout, for twenty-five dollars. In his notes, the chaplain explained: "[S]ince the railroad came here and the Indians can buy cloth, calico, and blankets, etc. they have partly done away with this kind of dress. P.S. But in the tobacco and at the squaw dances it is always worn."
Two deerskins were sewn together, with the hind legs forming the bodice and sleeves. The cut of the sleeves—tapered at the ends and slightly curved along the inner seam—is typical of both Cheyenne and Lakota dresses. The bottom of the garment more closely follows the cut of Cheyenne dresses. Fringe embellishes the sleeves and bottom. Wolf Voice’s wife, a Cheyenne woman named Ameche, sewed the Italian glass beads onto the bodice using the so-called lane stitch technique. Although each bead row lines up with those above and below it, the beads themselves do not lie flat, as they do in most Cheyenne beadwork. The kind of solid beading on the bodice seen here did not emerge until the mid-1870s, when seed beads were readily available; rarely is it seen on dresses made by Cheyenne bead workers, as on this one.
Several of the design motifs mimic those found on Lakota dresses. The medium-blue background with the narrow band of beadwork forming the border is said by old-time bead workers to symbolize a lake. The designs within the blue field may represent stars and clouds. The U-shaped figure in the center of the lower bodice symbolizes a turtle, and the red double crosses represent dragonflies; both are considered to have protective power for women. The red stepped triangle with navy-blue and yellow lines are filled with two rectangles in navy blue and white, an allusion to Sweet Medicine’s Cave in Bear Butte, the central religious site for the Cheyenne. The crosses in the blue field consist of two color lines, navy blue and red, that intersect and are filled with yellow boxes—a Cheyenne design motif.
from Mack, Father Lindesmith's Collection: History into Art and Anthropology (Notre Dame, 2012)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2FAA1899.002%2F1899_002-v0001%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![According to its descriptive tag, this beautifully beaded girl’s dress—or cuozichost (Lindesmith’s spelling) in Cheyenne—dates from before 1883, the year Lindesmith bought it from Wolf Voice, a Cheyenne U.S. Army scout, for twenty-five dollars. In his notes, the chaplain explained: "[S]ince the railroad came here and the Indians can buy cloth, calico, and blankets, etc. they have partly done away with this kind of dress. P.S. But in the tobacco and at the squaw dances it is always worn."
Two deerskins were sewn together, with the hind legs forming the bodice and sleeves. The cut of the sleeves—tapered at the ends and slightly curved along the inner seam—is typical of both Cheyenne and Lakota dresses. The bottom of the garment more closely follows the cut of Cheyenne dresses. Fringe embellishes the sleeves and bottom. Wolf Voice’s wife, a Cheyenne woman named Ameche, sewed the Italian glass beads onto the bodice using the so-called lane stitch technique. Although each bead row lines up with those above and below it, the beads themselves do not lie flat, as they do in most Cheyenne beadwork. The kind of solid beading on the bodice seen here did not emerge until the mid-1870s, when seed beads were readily available; rarely is it seen on dresses made by Cheyenne bead workers, as on this one.
Several of the design motifs mimic those found on Lakota dresses. The medium-blue background with the narrow band of beadwork forming the border is said by old-time bead workers to symbolize a lake. The designs within the blue field may represent stars and clouds. The U-shaped figure in the center of the lower bodice symbolizes a turtle, and the red double crosses represent dragonflies; both are considered to have protective power for women. The red stepped triangle with navy-blue and yellow lines are filled with two rectangles in navy blue and white, an allusion to Sweet Medicine’s Cave in Bear Butte, the central religious site for the Cheyenne. The crosses in the blue field consist of two color lines, navy blue and red, that intersect and are filled with yellow boxes—a Cheyenne design motif.
from Mack, Father Lindesmith's Collection: History into Art and Anthropology (Notre Dame, 2012)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2FAA1899.002%2Faa1899_002-v0001%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![According to its descriptive tag, this beautifully beaded girl’s dress—or cuozichost (Lindesmith’s spelling) in Cheyenne—dates from before 1883, the year Lindesmith bought it from Wolf Voice, a Cheyenne U.S. Army scout, for twenty-five dollars. In his notes, the chaplain explained: "[S]ince the railroad came here and the Indians can buy cloth, calico, and blankets, etc. they have partly done away with this kind of dress. P.S. But in the tobacco and at the squaw dances it is always worn."
Two deerskins were sewn together, with the hind legs forming the bodice and sleeves. The cut of the sleeves—tapered at the ends and slightly curved along the inner seam—is typical of both Cheyenne and Lakota dresses. The bottom of the garment more closely follows the cut of Cheyenne dresses. Fringe embellishes the sleeves and bottom. Wolf Voice’s wife, a Cheyenne woman named Ameche, sewed the Italian glass beads onto the bodice using the so-called lane stitch technique. Although each bead row lines up with those above and below it, the beads themselves do not lie flat, as they do in most Cheyenne beadwork. The kind of solid beading on the bodice seen here did not emerge until the mid-1870s, when seed beads were readily available; rarely is it seen on dresses made by Cheyenne bead workers, as on this one.
Several of the design motifs mimic those found on Lakota dresses. The medium-blue background with the narrow band of beadwork forming the border is said by old-time bead workers to symbolize a lake. The designs within the blue field may represent stars and clouds. The U-shaped figure in the center of the lower bodice symbolizes a turtle, and the red double crosses represent dragonflies; both are considered to have protective power for women. The red stepped triangle with navy-blue and yellow lines are filled with two rectangles in navy blue and white, an allusion to Sweet Medicine’s Cave in Bear Butte, the central religious site for the Cheyenne. The crosses in the blue field consist of two color lines, navy blue and red, that intersect and are filled with yellow boxes—a Cheyenne design motif.
from Mack, Father Lindesmith's Collection: History into Art and Anthropology (Notre Dame, 2012)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2FAA1899.002%2Faa1899_002-v0003%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![According to its descriptive tag, this beautifully beaded girl’s dress—or cuozichost (Lindesmith’s spelling) in Cheyenne—dates from before 1883, the year Lindesmith bought it from Wolf Voice, a Cheyenne U.S. Army scout, for twenty-five dollars. In his notes, the chaplain explained: "[S]ince the railroad came here and the Indians can buy cloth, calico, and blankets, etc. they have partly done away with this kind of dress. P.S. But in the tobacco and at the squaw dances it is always worn."
Two deerskins were sewn together, with the hind legs forming the bodice and sleeves. The cut of the sleeves—tapered at the ends and slightly curved along the inner seam—is typical of both Cheyenne and Lakota dresses. The bottom of the garment more closely follows the cut of Cheyenne dresses. Fringe embellishes the sleeves and bottom. Wolf Voice’s wife, a Cheyenne woman named Ameche, sewed the Italian glass beads onto the bodice using the so-called lane stitch technique. Although each bead row lines up with those above and below it, the beads themselves do not lie flat, as they do in most Cheyenne beadwork. The kind of solid beading on the bodice seen here did not emerge until the mid-1870s, when seed beads were readily available; rarely is it seen on dresses made by Cheyenne bead workers, as on this one.
Several of the design motifs mimic those found on Lakota dresses. The medium-blue background with the narrow band of beadwork forming the border is said by old-time bead workers to symbolize a lake. The designs within the blue field may represent stars and clouds. The U-shaped figure in the center of the lower bodice symbolizes a turtle, and the red double crosses represent dragonflies; both are considered to have protective power for women. The red stepped triangle with navy-blue and yellow lines are filled with two rectangles in navy blue and white, an allusion to Sweet Medicine’s Cave in Bear Butte, the central religious site for the Cheyenne. The crosses in the blue field consist of two color lines, navy blue and red, that intersect and are filled with yellow boxes—a Cheyenne design motif.
from Mack, Father Lindesmith's Collection: History into Art and Anthropology (Notre Dame, 2012)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fiiif-image.library.nd.edu%2Fiiif%2F2%2FAA1899.002%2Faa1899_002-v0004%2Ffull%2Ffull%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.