Cradleboard. Kiowa or Comanche people, about 1850-1870. Animal
hide, textile, glass beads, tin. Museum purchase with funds
provided by the 2004 Museum Dinner and Ball and general
acquisition funds, 2005.103. Cradleboard; Native American, Kiowa
or Comanche people The Kiowa and Comanche peoples once inhabited
the plains and hills of central North America. Rather than
establishing permanent settlements for farming, these nomads
followed herds of buffalo, an animal that provided both food and
raw materials for everyday objects. In the 18th and 19th
centuries, the acquisition of horses allowed them to travel
faster and to transport goods more easily. Kiowa and Comanche
artists decorated objects that were both functional and
beautiful, like this cradleboard. To incorporate children into
society as early as possible, mothers used them to carry infants
on their backs or to keep children upright when at rest. The
Kiowa and Comanche often passed down cradleboards through
generations, linking both familial and cultural