Help us conserve our Native American artifacts
Learn about our Adopt-an-Artifact programFriends of Kansas City Museum invites you to take a look inside the Museum's renowned Dyer Collection of Native American artifacts. This collection, considered one of the finest in the country, features artifacts from many tribes in the Plains region, most dating from the mid- to late-1800s.
Three artifacts in the Dyer Collection have been selected by Museum staff as candidates for conservation, supported by the Friends organization. This is a rare opportunity to examine the artifacts and their historical significance.
It's easy to participate in our Adopt-an-Artifact program:
- You may support the conservation of these artifacts with a tax-deductible contribution that will go directly toward the conservation work
Cradle HoodMade of buckskin, glass beads, silk and cotton, Ca. 1870-1890
Unique among the Dyer Collection is this cradle hood; it is the only one which is beaded leather on all sides, as well as the only one with corded trim (usually reserved for European-style items) and silk lining. A cradle hood primarily served to shield an infant from the sun. This particular item is documented to have been collected by the Dyers in Ida Dyer’s book Fort Reno. Learn more about the Cradle Hood.
Indian DollMade of leather, cloth, metal and glass beads, Ca. 1860-1880
Ida Dyer explains in her book Fort Reno that young Indian girls were just as fond of their dolls as white girls. The significance can be found in this doll’s age and the quality of construction. And it’s one of the oldest in the collection. There is also a strong resemblance between this doll and two others in the collection which suggests they were made by the same unidentified Native artisan. Learn more about the Indian doll.
Octopus BagMade of wool, silk and glass beads, Ca. 1850-1870
Octopus bags were named for the wide cloth fringe resembling the tentacles of an octopus, usually comprising eight points. This type of bag was worn for special occasions by the men of the tribe around the neck and shoulders. Octopus bags were used throughout tribes in what is now the upper United States. This bag is significant for its rarity and age—few early bags remain—but it is the only octopus bag in the Dyer Collection. Learn more about the Octopus Bag.
About the Dyer Collection
The Daniel B. and Ida C. Dyer Collection of Native American Artifacts has been one of the cornerstones of the Kansas City Museum collection for decades. Originally gifted to the Kansas City School Board and Kansas City Public Library, the collection has earned international acclaim. Five pieces from the collection are on loan to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Between 1870-1885, Ida Casey Dyer, wife of U.S. Indian agent Daniel B. Dyer, amassed hundreds of old, new and commissioned American Indian artworks, or curios, as they were called then. Ida, a school teacher and the daughter of a doctor, began collecting when 'Colonel' Dyer was stationed at Darlington Indian Agency, a post established in 1875 near Fort Reno on the former Cheyenne Arapaho reservation, now central Oklahoma.
The collection became the subject of a bitter custody battle when the Dyers divorced in 1897 (for the second time). Ultimately, Ida was awarded the collection and made sure it ended up in Kansas City. Read more >>
The Dyer Collection was the subject of a recent Community Curator event presented by Kansas City Museum at Union Station. The collection was examined by Elisabeth J. Kirsch, a contemporary art curator and historian.
The Daniel B. and Ida C. Dyer Collection of Native American Artifacts has been one of the cornerstones of the Kansas City Museum collection for decades. Originally gifted to the Kansas City School Board and Kansas City Public Library, the collection has earned international acclaim. Five pieces from the collection are on loan to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Between 1870-1885, Ida Casey Dyer, wife of U.S. Indian agent Daniel B. Dyer, amassed hundreds of old, new and commissioned American Indian artworks, or curios, as they were called then. Ida, a school teacher and the daughter of a doctor, began collecting when 'Colonel' Dyer was stationed at Darlington Indian Agency, a post established in 1875 near Fort Reno on the former Cheyenne Arapaho reservation, now central Oklahoma.
The collection became the subject of a bitter custody battle when the Dyers divorced in 1897 (for the second time). Ultimately, Ida was awarded the collection and made sure it ended up in Kansas City. Read more >>
The Dyer Collection was the subject of a recent Community Curator event presented by Kansas City Museum at Union Station. The collection was examined by Elisabeth J. Kirsch, a contemporary art curator and historian.
Dyer Native American Collection courtesy of the Kansas City Museum and Union Station Kansas City.
