wood; vegetable fibre cord; hide thongs; screws; traces of paint on back

The backboard of the cradle is a single rectangular piece of carved wood with a tapered end scalloped or sawtooth contour on the top edge. The footboard is a separate piece of wood carved into a rounded shape, with a man wearing a feather bonnet engraved on the bottom side, and is secured to the backboard with screws. The upright bow is a separate piece of curved wood with notched ends and is engraved with geometric designs. The bow is secured to the backboard with hide thongs that are twisted and threaded through the single holes at either end of the bow and holes in the backboard. On the reverse side of the backboard, a carved piece of wood with rectangular slits has been secured horizontally with screws near the top edge; the notched ends of the upright row fit securely inside these two slits. Vegetable fibre cords are threaded through holes along the sides of the backboard, possibly for the attachment of a moss bag or cradleboard wrapper. Remnants of red paint can be found on the reverse side of the backboard.

Outline of man wearing headdress or feather bonnet on the footboard base. Geometric designs of linked diamonds and four-quadrant imagery on the bow.

Visit to Denver Art Museum of Alex Nahwegahbow and Ruth Phillips, assisted by Eric Berkemeyer and Kristin Strid on 22 Jan 2014.