Plains-Style Beaded Turtle Umbilical Fetish Amulet, Lazy-Stitch Hide Pouch

Hide-sewn turtle effigy amulet worked in lazy-stitch (lane-stitch) beadwork using opaque greasy yellow, cobalt blue, and white-heart orange-red glass seed beads. The carapace carries a central yellow field broken by a stepped/diamond medallion in cobalt and orange-red, framed by tightly banded edge lanes that continue down the head, tail, and four limbs. Each limb terminates in a striped Hudson's Bay-style "chevron" or banded clay trade bead, secured by twin brown brain-tanned hide thongs.

The form is consistent with Northern/Central Plains umbilical fetish pouches (often called tȟaspáŋ or "navel amulets" in Lakota tradition), made to hold a newborn's dried umbilical cord as a lifelong protective talisman — turtles carrying the symbolism of long life and feminine power. Lazy-stitch construction, palette, and trade-bead suspensions are consistent with late 19th to mid-20th century Sioux/Lakota or Cheyenne work, though unsigned and offered without firm tribal attribution.

CONDITION

Good, as shown. Beadwork is fully intact with strong color saturation, tight tension, and no visible bead loss or broken threads. Light staining and handling patina to the underside of the hide; trade beads and thongs supple and original to the piece.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• 5.5" L × 3" W × 1" D
• Glass seed beads (greasy yellow, cobalt, white-heart orange-red), striped clay trade beads, brain-tanned hide, leather thong ties
• Lazy-stitch (lane-stitch) beadwork construction
• Unsigned, no maker's mark