unidentified wood for cradleboard backboard, foot support, bow and suspended figurine; at least two different types of red fabrics for the doll wrappings; two different geometric patterned fabrics for clothing of doll and suspended figurine; wire and red fabric used to suspend figurine; black fabric, black paint or dye, a feather, two pieces of tin, and a piece of red yarn used for clothing and ornamentation of suspended figurine; cradleboard cover decorated with glass beads, in translucent white, opaque white, dark soapy blue, light opaque blue, light opaque green, dark translucent green; binding done with black or dark blue fabric; papier mache doll, with painted face; nails, possibly spruce root(?), possibly sinew(?) and hide thongs used for securing materials; commercial thread used in beadwork.

The backboard of the cradle is a single rectangular piece of carved wood. The upright curved bow is a separate piece of wood that has been carved with decorative chipwork and holes. Both ends of the bow terminate into small tapered ends that coincide with two small rectangular slits that are carved out of a piece of wood that has been nailed to the backboard; the ends of this piece of wood are carved into points that jut out from beyond the side of the cradleboard. The ends of the bow are secured to the cradleboard with possibly spruce root(?) that is twisted and threaded through a single hole in the bow and tied around a holes in the backboard on either side. The support of the cradleboard is created using a separate piece of wood that is slightly curved at the foot and is secured to the backboard with nails. The doll is clothed in geometric fabrics, and is wrapped in red fabrics. The cradleboard cover is made in two sections: one is bound with black or navy blue fabric and is decorated with flat and raised beadwork in floral designs, and the other is unornamented red fabric. The coverings are secured to the cradleboard with sinew and hide thongs that have been laced and tied through holes in the wooden backboard; the fabric coverings are folded over the sinew and thongs and pinned to the sides. A small figurine made of wood hangs suspended from the curved bow with wire and a strip of red fabric, and wears black leggings and a geometric patterned dress with cuffs made of tin and a tied belt made of red yarn.

The curved bow features chains of triangular notches and sun, moon, crescent moon or perhaps starburst motifs. The notched motifs found at the front of the bow could be perhaps be interpreted as moon phases(?). Spirals, foliage and floral motifs with a butterfly are found in the beadwork on the covering.

Butterflies are often found to ornament objects for children, they at times represented the spirit of children and playfulness.

Inscription on back, slightly incised and perhaps in pencil. Dutch: "Indiaansche wieg van Tuscarora Res.". English translation: "Indian cradle / from / Tuscarora Res."

Museum documentation

"Ten Kate purchased this full-sized cradleboard on the Tuscarora Reservation, a few miles northeast of Niagara Falls, where members of the tribe had settled since the late eighteenth century [...] The doll was not part of the original purchase, and ten Kate asked his sister Madelon to add it before shipping the cradleboard to Europe to make it more eye-catching for museum and government officials in the Netherlands. Such a strategy would have been necessary to obtain financial support for his collecting project."

Pieter Hovens, with contributions by Duane Anderson, Ted Brasser, Laura van Broekhoven et al. "The Ten Kate Collection 1882-1888". Leiden: ZKF Publishers, 2010.