Skip to main content
Exhibition History"Treasures from the Thaw Collection," Wheelwright Museum of American Indian Art. Santa Fe, NM, May 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000.
Art of the American Indian: The Thaw Collection, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, March 2, 2010 - May 30, 2010; Minneapolis Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN, October 24, 2010 - January 9, 2011; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, April 24, 2011 - September 23, 2011; Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN, December 4, 2011 - February 12, 2012.
American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, May 9, 2017 - October 8, 2017.
American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY, October 13, 2018 - December 31, 2018.
American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection, Mitchell Gallery, St John's College, Annapolis, MD, February 28, 2020 - April 26, 2020.
ProvenanceCapt. Henry Phillip Dawson, Royal Army, 1882-1883; descended in the family; Sotheby's, New York City, May 25, 1993, lot 199, 1993
BibliographySotheby's Sale 6427, 25 May 1993, lot 199.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, pp.92-93.
Thompson, Judy. "Marketing Tradition: Late Nineteenth-Century Gwich'in Clothing Traditions." American Indian Magazine, Vol.24, No.4 (Autumn 1999): p.52, 55-56.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, pp.400-401 & p.411.
Thompson, Judy. "Traditional Summer Clothing of the Dena'ina and the Gwich'in: Variations of a Theme." In Fascinating Challenges: Studying material Culture with Dorothy Burnham. Mercury Series, Canadian Ethnology Series, Paper 136. Hull, Quebec: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2001, p.22.
L'Art du Grand Nord, Paris?, 2001?pls.363-364.
Fognell, Eva. “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.” Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2010, pp. 158-159.
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. 456.
Culture
Gwich'in (Kutchin)
Summer Outfit
Datec. 1880
DimensionsOverall: 73 × 27 × 14 in. (185.4 × 68.6 × 35.6 cm)
Support (Mount dimension): 14 in. (35.6 cm)
Object numberT0237a-e
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextThis summer outfit was probably a commissioned work, and at the time it was made, was based upon an earlier style of dress. Captain Henry Phillips Dawson of the Royal Army acquired the outfit in the 1880s. By that time this style of dress was no longer in fashion and few women possessed the extraordinary skills necessary to create such an outfit. Visitors to the Northwest Territories were eager to acquire beautifully tanned and quilled garments such as these.Exhibition History"Treasures from the Thaw Collection," Wheelwright Museum of American Indian Art. Santa Fe, NM, May 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000.
Art of the American Indian: The Thaw Collection, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, March 2, 2010 - May 30, 2010; Minneapolis Museum of Art, Minneapolis, MN, October 24, 2010 - January 9, 2011; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX, April 24, 2011 - September 23, 2011; Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN, December 4, 2011 - February 12, 2012.
American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, May 9, 2017 - October 8, 2017.
American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, NY, October 13, 2018 - December 31, 2018.
American Indian Art from the Fenimore Art Museum: The Thaw Collection, Mitchell Gallery, St John's College, Annapolis, MD, February 28, 2020 - April 26, 2020.
ProvenanceCapt. Henry Phillip Dawson, Royal Army, 1882-1883; descended in the family; Sotheby's, New York City, May 25, 1993, lot 199, 1993
BibliographySotheby's Sale 6427, 25 May 1993, lot 199.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, pp.92-93.
Thompson, Judy. "Marketing Tradition: Late Nineteenth-Century Gwich'in Clothing Traditions." American Indian Magazine, Vol.24, No.4 (Autumn 1999): p.52, 55-56.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, pp.400-401 & p.411.
Thompson, Judy. "Traditional Summer Clothing of the Dena'ina and the Gwich'in: Variations of a Theme." In Fascinating Challenges: Studying material Culture with Dorothy Burnham. Mercury Series, Canadian Ethnology Series, Paper 136. Hull, Quebec: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2001, p.22.
L'Art du Grand Nord, Paris?, 2001?pls.363-364.
Fognell, Eva. “Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection.” Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2010, pp. 158-159.
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. 456.
On View
On viewc. 1940
