Small Spirits: Dolls from the National Museum of the American Indian

March 5, 2011–July 19, 2012
New York, NY

Over 90 dolls from throughout the Western Hemisphere, most from the 19th century through the present day, reflect different communities and traditions of Native peoples. Included are dolls dressed in everyday Cherokee clothing of the 1930s, made by Berdina and Richard G. Crowe (Eastern Band of Cherokee); a ceramic storyteller doll by Helen Cordero (Cochiti Pueblo), a form invented by the artist that is widely continued today; and a wooden doll by noted carver Frank Allabush (Makah). Also included are the traditional "no-face" cornhusk doll of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) cultures, Seminole dolls in brightly colored patchwork clothing, and elaborate Plains dolls in traditional regalia.