Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Shield with Supernatural Being

Cheyenne or Lakota (Teton Sioux)

Not on view

The protective power of this shield, made of muslin stretched over a wood hoop, resides in the painted image of a supernatural being and in the cluster of feathers from various birds associated with the spirit world. On the upper half is a mysterious, visionary creature with the head and claws of an eagle and the body of a lizard. A group of dots below represents both hail—the power to destroy—and the bullets the shield will turn away.

Shield with Supernatural Being, Wood (probably willow), muslin, pigment, ink, wool cloth, cotton string, turkey, hawk, owl and eagle feathers, Cheyenne or Lakota (Teton Sioux)

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.