A Man Receiving Power from Two Spirit Animals

Wohaw Native American

1877

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

In this drawing by renowned Kiowa artist Wohaw, the earth is portrayed as a solid mass of color that meets an open sky. At center, a man seeks supernatural guidance by offering two pipes in prayer, and a spirit buffalo and a spotted longhorn bull appear on either side of him. In answer to his prayer, the spirit animals breathe their medicine onto his head. The work has been recently interpreted through Kiowa voice as a representation of an Indian warrior who draws power from both the buffalo and domestic bull—blessings from two worlds.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: A Man Receiving Power from Two Spirit Animals
Artist: Wohaw (Native American, Kiowa, 1855–1924)
Date: 1877
Geography: United States, Oklahoma
Culture: Kiowa
Medium: Graphite and crayon on paper
Dimensions: Length: 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
Width: 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm)
Classification: Paper-Drawings
Credit Line: Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis (1882 018 0032)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing