Cheyenne Cradleboard

Cheyenne cradleboards often feature geometric beadwork and symbolic materials. This example features a tall wooden frame with painted support sticks and a soft cloth body. A beaded hood, supported by cardboard, arches over the infant’s head—combining both decoration and protection. Cradleboards like this were often gifted at birth and reflected the family’s honor and care, with beadwork and painted designs offering spiritual and aesthetic meaning.

Side-facing view of the cradle.