New Mexican Inlaid Cross, Late 1800s
date: label: Date made
content: ca 1850 - 1900
notes: label: Description
content: Members of either the Zuni or Navajo communities likely made this small wooden cross near Gallop, New Mexico in the northwestern corner of the state. It is composed of wood decorated with straw inlayed into pine resin darkened with soot. It dates to the last half of the 19th century.
label: Description
content: Scholars believe that straw applique originated in Spain and came to Mexico at the turn of the 19th century. The technique was then adopted by Native Americans where it was spread throughout Mexico reaching its northern regions where it became a popular artistic tradition. Inlaying straw into resin covered wood imitated the European art of inlaying wood with precious materials such as gold, silver, and ivory. Today, several artisans continue the tradition and combine decorative patterns similar to those of Native Americans.
label: Description
content: The influence of Native American decoration with geometric shapes combined with the strong elements of European Catholic devotional items influenced a tradition started generations ago kept alive by artists using the technique today.
place: label: place made
content: United States: New Mexico, Gallup
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Religion
label: See more items in
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CL.219168
label: accession number
content: 40071
label: catalog number
content: 219168
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Cross
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: corn husk (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 1/2 in x 3 3/4 in x 3/8 in; 16.51 cm x 9.525 cm x .9525 cm