PLAINS INDIAN WOOD AND LEATHER CRADLE BOARD,19th/early 20th century, possibly Lakota, Sioux. Cradle board with soft leather buckskin baby/papoose carrier lined with soft fur bottom with pink and black coloring. At protruding top, cradle board has a diamond shaped leather decoration held in place by numerous small brass tacks, with a pink decorative cross-like object in the center of the leather diamond. Papoose has stitched leather sinews along the top of papoose opening, with white horsehair (?) decorating the edge of the opening, along with hanging leather fringe. The bottom or place for the baby's feet is also stitched on sides with sinew and has pink and white decorated cloth bordering the stitchery. The back and sides/tops of the papoose are decorated with red, orange, dark blue, light blue and yellow seed beadwork in complex, vivid geometric patterns, featuring arrow head designs with a complex abstract central medallion. 4 sets of larger red, yellow and light blue beads decorate the sides/tops of the papoose, two in the front near the baby's toes and two toward the rear, near baby's heal, affixed by tied leather sinews - 28 1/2 in. long. Estimate $2,000-3,000
