Copper Feather Effigy   Save
Bell-Phelps Collection
Description: This curved feather effigy was cut from flat sheet of copper and embossed in a repousse-like fashion. A wooden "quill" is attached to the base of the feather by three lashings of cordage through the item and around the quill. This piece comes from Caddoan culture. Beginning around A.D. 1050, Caddoan culture emerged near the Red River between the Texas and Oklahoma border, as well as the Arkansas River Valley in the southern United States. Like many Woodland societies, the Caddo people built earthen mounds which functioned as burial internments or substructural bases. The Caddoans were farmers who grew cotton and dyed the threads to be woven into fabric. In the early 1800’s, as European settlers moved west, many Caddoan people were placed on reservations; today, most Caddo Indians live in Oklahoma. Caddoan culture is well known for a wide variety of social dances and songs, many of which are still practiced today. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: A1393_000001_E
Subjects: Prehistoric peoples; Effigies;
Places: Bell-Phelps Collection