wood; spruce root(?); hide thongs(?); commercial string; fragments of cloth; nails

Cradleboard: The backboard base of the cradleboard is a single rectangular piece of carved wood. The upright bow is a separate piece of wood bent with a concave curve in the front; both ends of the bow coincide with two rectangular carved slits near the top edge of the base; the ends of the bow are secured to the base with possibly spruce root(?) that is twisted and threaded through the single holes at either end of the bow. The support of the cradleboard is created using a seperate piece of wood that has been curved at the foot, and is secured to the base with hide thongs threaded through holes near the bow and tied around the spruce root(?) that secures the bow. Two carved pieces of wood have been secured horizontally near the top and at the bottom of the back of the cradleboard base with nails. Commercial string laced and tied through holes along the sides of the backboard, likely to secure a cradleboard wrapper. Liner: A single piece of birchbark that has been folded and sewn at the bottom; fitted to the cradleboard curved support.

Scallop or point contour motif along the sides and bottom of the curved wooden support. At the back of the cradleboard: wooden strip nailed to the top is carved into two diamond shapes, or perhaps an hourglass shape, with curved ends. Bottom strip of carved wood has engravings of semi-circular motifs.

The top horizontal wooden element at the back of the cradleboard has contours that suggest two thunderbirds in profile, similar to the profiles of thunderbirds on carved wooden rattles. Semi-circular motifs on the bottom horizontal wooden element at the cradleboard back could possibly be dome motifs?

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