Costume
Jay's Ltd
Category
Costume
Date
circa 1920
Materials
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 671241.8
Summary
A wooden pipe, with some additional decorative parts that have become detached, that is part of a children’s fancy dress costume based on a stereotypical representation of Native American dress. The design of this pipe, with its feather and bead decorations, is likely based on ceremonial pipes used by many Indigenous North American peoples. This fancy dress costume was bought from Jay’s Ltd for a children’s party in the 1920s. The clothes and accessories that make up the costume reflect a generic ‘American Indian’ stereotype which was depicted in Wild West stage shows and later Western films. Caricatures in these entertainments informed the game of 'Cowboys and Indians' which became popular in the United States and United Kingdom.
Provenance
Owned by donor’s family and donated to the Museum of Childhood by Jane Osgood in March 2011.
Makers and roles
Jay's Ltd, manufacturer Jay's Ltd, retailer