On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
War record
Not on view
Plains men have recorded their battle exploits for centuries. On stone, animal hide, fabrics and paper, and through sculpture, warrior-artists featured their bravest moments to gain honor among their peers. Two Lakota artists painted this hide to memorialize a battle with the Apsa’alooka (Crow). It shows only events in which the Lakota were victorious, identifying individual warriors by depicting them in full regalia with weaponry, shields, and clothing.
The attention paid to horses is evident in the clipped and wrapped tails, split ears, and scalplocks hanging from their bridles. The artists gracefully captured the elegant movement of the animals in a variety of combat situations, creating a document of the centrality of the horse in Plains culture and the interdependent relationship between the warrior and his horse in battle.
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