Gift of John Wayne
The Pueblo people developed a special form of embroidery during the fifteenth century. The design elements are basic for male dancers in religious ceremonies focusing on agriculture, including rain depicted by the red vertical bars and clouds which are represented by stepped triangles. The kilt is worn as part of an outfit that includes a deer horn headdress, a rain sash, dance sticks, a long stick, and a rattle. The Deer Dance, like other Pueblo animal dances, occurs during harvest time and hunting and weather conditions are paramount. This kilt was collected by the late actor, John Wayne, probably during filming of one of his many westerns shot on location in the Southwest.
