Skirt

ClassificationsClothing and Adornments-principal attire (lower body)

Culture Lakota

Datec. 1880

Made AtCalifornia, United States, North America

MediumBear grass, cotton cloth, cotton thread and glass bead

Dimensionsa: 25 1/2 × 19 1/2 in. (64.8 × 49.5 cm)
b: 2 7/8 × 21 in. (7.3 × 53.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of Junius & Angeline Holte

Object number86.30.5a,b

DescriptionNATIVE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN MISC. - Lakota (Sioux) -- Grass skirt in 2 sections:
a) 25-5/8"w. (at waistband) x 19-1/2"l. Grass skirt in 2 halves attached to black ribbon & brown cloth waistband (with large gap in between), and constructed of long strands, each composed of dried grass which has been entwined around a long fiber with beaded section at end of white heart & red glass trade beads. Attached to these are braided grass tassels with beads at end;
b) 2-7/8"w. (at waistband) x 21"l. Unfinished section of grass skirt attached to crudely finished waistband of canvas stapled to skirt, constructed of long strands of string, each entwined by dried grass, extending 2/3 of way down. Beaded & braided section not complete. Very rare object, collected by Henrietta Lunde Holte, mother of donor.
Condition: String frayed with missing grass sections on both (a) & (b), and some beads missing on (a
Exhibited: "Red Cloud Agency Benefit," Irvine Hilton, Irvine, CA., 6/19-6/21/87 (co-sponsored by Ultrasystems & Bowers Museum)
Label Copy, "The rarest object in this exhibition is this skirt made of woven grass around a cordage base. Very probably used in the Winkte ceremonies, this skirt has been identified by Lakota Medicine People & is authentic, though another is yet to be found in museum collections to compare it to. Each strand has been painstakingly woven and glass "white Heart" trade beads are integrated into the weaving of each strand. Collected in the early 1900"s in South Dakota, the date of manufacture is probably circa 1880." (P. Apodaca, 6/87).

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