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Lakota Sioux Turtle Umbilical Fetish Doll

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:100.00 - 300.00 USD
Lakota Sioux Turtle Umbilical Fetish Doll
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This is a Lakota Sioux Native American Indian umbilical fetish doll. Traditionally in Plains Indian culture, when a child was born, the mother would grease the babies skin, and powdered the child with finely ground buffalo manure, decayed cottonwood, and dry spores of star puffball fungus. When the umbilical fell off, the mother would sew it into a small buckskin container, typically depicting a turtle or lizard. The bag would then be hung from the child's papoose, as its first toy. Later the fetish would be worn around the child's neck, or hung from clothing. Once reaching adulthood, the man or woman would keep the piece as a keepsake. The umbilical fetish is used typically as a symbol of protection, and kept throughout life to represent a link from birth, to life after death. This fetish depicts a turtle, and is adorned with rolled jingle-cones, and trade-seed bead drops off each leg. The turtle itself is decorated with a geometric motif, and utilizes corn yellow, chalk white, dark blue, and robin egg blue trade seed beads. The fetish shows good condition overall, with no apparent bead loss. Without the additional bead drops, the fetish measures 4 1/8" long, and 3 1/2" wide.