Plains Indian Beaded Crow Stirrup

ca. 1880s

5.375" H  x 8.25" L x 5.5" W

Hand Crafted Wood and Hide Leather with Red Stroud, Glass Seed Beads and Tacks

In Good Condition

Beaded Crow (Apsáalooke) stirrups or stirrup covers/panels incorporating red stroud (wool trade cloth) and tacks are examples of late-19th/early-20th-century Plains Indian horse gear, reflecting the tribe’s elaborate geometric beadwork traditions and the central cultural importance of the horse. Crow women produced highly distinctive beadwork (often in light blue, lavender/white, dark blue, red, yellow, and green seed beads) using techniques such as lazy stitch, overlay, and the “Crow stitch.” Classic design elements include triangles, hourglasses, blocks, and related geometric motifs. Horses were vital after their introduction, and by the early 1900s Crow herds were estimated in the tens of thousands; elaborate decoration of saddles, stirrups, collars, martingales, cruppers, and related tack signaled status and was used for parades and special occasions.