In Chapter 26 the image 26-11 there is an image of an Eastern Sioux Baby Carrier. This is a prime example of function happening before form. These were made by the mother whom was pregnant and getting ready to have the baby. The significant part about how this baby carrier was made is what it was made out of. The sewn and beaded part was made out of porcupine quills and tiny glass beads. The porcupine quills were individually dulled in order to not harm the child. The part that goes against the mothers back was made out of a wooden board that they painted designs on. Certain areas of the bag were made of buckskin to give the carrier durability. There are animals of symbolism in the beadwork. the lama was usually a sacred animal and used to sacrifice for the gods. The thunderbird is to protest the baby from both humans and the supernatural. In other words this baby carrier both physically and spiritually protects the child. This baby carrier shows a lot of time and effort into making this baby carrier because the mother would be spending a lot of time dulling the porcupine quills and doing the beadwork. I am not too sure what the lower part was made for. It looks like they are dangling pouches that might have held toys or medicine or they might just be decorative. Overall I like this piece because of the amount of work that was put into making it.
I really like how native American art and art of the other early societies were all functional as a tool but also looked really well made as well.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about the time it took to make this in preparation for a child. There were so many things that had to be prepared for a new baby since they could not just stop by "Babies-R-Us" for whatever new product was on the market. It adds to the beauty of this, knowing that a new mother still had to prepare food, do other work, make other things a baby needed, and yet she cared so much about her child that she created this beautiful piece that would be utilized everyday.
ReplyDeleteI just like that they thought of this before we did. It seems like in this day and age, when somebody makes something, they take all the credit for it, but the Sioux now have the patent for a handcrafted baby-carrier, and it actually looks better than anything that we could ever make these days. (Mostly because if we made it, you'd probably need to put gas in it or something like that.)
ReplyDeleteAgreed, the baby carrier is fictional and fashionable, i wonder if the sioux ment for it to be both functional and fashionable or if it just turned out that way.
ReplyDeleteFictional?
DeleteI'm glad I'm not a Native American expecting mother. I have a lot of patience, but I don't think I could sit down and individually dull all of the quills needed to craft it. Plus, if a mistake is made while adding the beads - and is not caught for a while - a lot of the beads need to come off to correct it. It's not the piece, but the patience needed to craft it that impresses me the most.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It is the old what goes around comes around routine.
ReplyDeleteinexpensive baby carriers