Traditional footwear for Plains Indian women is usually either boots or a combination of moccasins and leggings. Lakota women commonly wore the latter. The moccasins are characteristically made with a hard rawhide sole and a bifurcated tongue; these are often extensively decorated with lazy stitch beadwork in geometric designs on a white background. Leggings offered additional protection and a sense of modesty. In contrast to Lakota women, many Kiowa women traditionally wear knee-high boots, decorated with much less beadwork than the Lakota moccasins and employing a different approach to color. Kiowa beadwork commonly uses different beaded designs on each toe, and the boots are further ornamented by metal studs and by paint on the unbeaded surface.

• Collection History Provenance

  The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection.

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• Type of Item moccasin
• Culture Kiowa
• Material leather, rawhide hide, paint, metal, glass bead
• Measurements height 23.0 in, width 3.5 in, depth 9.0 in (overall)

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• Creator Kiowa artist

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• Creation Date during 1890

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• Categories Plains; Clothing and Textiles