Kiowa Cradleboard Giclee – Kiowa
Fine art giclee on canvas
A Kiowa mother carries her infant with her as she fetches water
Click on the image for a larger view
Kiowa Cradleboard
Kiowa woman by James Ayers
Archival-quality giclee on canvas
Each numbered, limited-edition print is signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity
Three editions are available:
20″ x 15″, 24″ x 18″, 40″ x 30″
Each size edition is limited to only 95 in number.
Your choice of gallery wrap framing or unframed (sent rolled). Your print will be shipped within 10 days of purchase. Shipping included.
Learn more about Kiowa Cradleboard
Kiowa Cradleboard depicts a young mother from the Kiowa people of Colorado fetching water while toting her infant in an ornate cradleboard.
For the plains peoples, children were sacred gifts to be cherished–as such, objects for children were elevated above their utilitarian purposes with exquisite craftsmanship and artistry.
This cradleboard is adorned with beads that would have been obtained through trade. The colors of the beads used – red, green, blue, black, and yellow – indicate a later time period of the mid- to late-1800s. (Earlier cradleboards would have been decorated with quillwork instead of beading.) I have reproduced the motifs shown here exactly from an actual historic cradleboard I discovered in my research.
The young mother is wearing a dress made from multiple deer hides: one hide each for the front and back of her skirt and one hide for her top. In her hand, she carries a water pouch made from a bison testicle, which would stretch to this voluminous size and still be strong and water-tight.
Do you have questions about Kiowa Cradleboard giclees?
Please contact me at James Ayers studios with any questions you might have.
Also available
This image is also available as a high-quality decorator print: Kiowa Cradleboard decorator print
