Shield
He Nupa Wanica/ Joseph No Two Horns Hunkpapa Lakota/ Teton Sioux
Not on view
After buffalo were hunted to near extinction in the late nineteenth century as part of the United States’ expansion tactics, Great Plains men transitioned from celebrating their feats of bravery with pictorial compositions on buffalo skins to using commercially available fabric and paper. The courageous warrior No Two Horns notably fought in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Here, he portrays a bird with lightning or power emanating from its wings to protect the warrior. He also painted these powerful lines on his face and his horse’s body in self-portraits. Though he made later versions of this shield on muslin, this hide is a rare original.
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