Toy Cradleboard

Cradleboards were given to young girls to play with to help develop skills used when adulthood was reached. This cradleboard was made for a child. The cradle sack is made from red trade cloth and holds a cotton fabric doll. The facial features of the doll are hand embroidered and have human hair braids. On the left hand side of the board, just out of view, is a small beaded pouch that represents where the umbilical cord was kept. The only time the umbilical cord could be removed from the pouch, was if the child faced a life-threatening illness. The Medicine man or woman would use it in their healing.