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The cross-in-circle represents the sacred fire, maintained by four logs placed crosswise in the center of the ceremonial plaza or on top of a temple mound in the major towns of the Southeastern nations.
The looped square is also part of a chiefly iconography, it is believed to represent the wooden litter on which the ruler was carried during public ceremonies. Most probably this motif in addition symbolized the ceremonial plaza, which was invariably oriented to the four cardinal directions. More importantly, the looped square may reference the path of souls, the journey the spirits take upon death to the realm of the dead.
Projecting from the four sides of this looped square are the heads of crested birds, major representatives of the celestial ruler of the sky and referred to as the Thunderers in historical times. The crested bird, often portrayed as a woodpecker, is associated with warfare from the Native interpretation of its aggressive behavior; when it is "angry," the red crest stands up and the bird hits the tree with its beak in the same manner that a warrior struck the war post in the Victory Dance. Combined with the symbol of the chief's seat, the picture of the four Thunderers may imply that the chief's authority extended to the four corners of the earth. This interpretation of the design suggests that gorgets of this type were most probably restricted to members of the ruling dynasties, i.e., "noble or royal houses," (see Lankford 2007 - "Some Cosmological Beliefs)
ProvenanceRoy Hathcock, West Plains, Missouri; B.W. Stevenson; Ralph Olson, Deerfield, Illinois
BibliographyVincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.35.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 12.
Possibly
Chickasaw
Gorget
Date1325-1400
MediumBusycon whelk shell
DimensionsOverall: 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
Object numberT0709
Credit LineLoan from the Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw Charitable Trust
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextEngraved on this Cox Mound-style shell gorget is one of the most important symbolic designs in the Mississippian Ritual. Other similarly engraved gorgets have been found in northern Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. The design is a combination of three motifs, which also occur separately. It consists of the cross-in-circle, surrounded by the looped square, from the four sides of which project the heads of four crested birds.The cross-in-circle represents the sacred fire, maintained by four logs placed crosswise in the center of the ceremonial plaza or on top of a temple mound in the major towns of the Southeastern nations.
The looped square is also part of a chiefly iconography, it is believed to represent the wooden litter on which the ruler was carried during public ceremonies. Most probably this motif in addition symbolized the ceremonial plaza, which was invariably oriented to the four cardinal directions. More importantly, the looped square may reference the path of souls, the journey the spirits take upon death to the realm of the dead.
Projecting from the four sides of this looped square are the heads of crested birds, major representatives of the celestial ruler of the sky and referred to as the Thunderers in historical times. The crested bird, often portrayed as a woodpecker, is associated with warfare from the Native interpretation of its aggressive behavior; when it is "angry," the red crest stands up and the bird hits the tree with its beak in the same manner that a warrior struck the war post in the Victory Dance. Combined with the symbol of the chief's seat, the picture of the four Thunderers may imply that the chief's authority extended to the four corners of the earth. This interpretation of the design suggests that gorgets of this type were most probably restricted to members of the ruling dynasties, i.e., "noble or royal houses," (see Lankford 2007 - "Some Cosmological Beliefs)
ProvenanceRoy Hathcock, West Plains, Missouri; B.W. Stevenson; Ralph Olson, Deerfield, Illinois
BibliographyVincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.35.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 12.
On View
Not on view
