Skip to main content
Exhibition History"Art Des Indiens D'Amerique Du Nord Dans La Collection D'Eugene Thaw," Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris, France, Somogy Editions D'Art, January 21, 2000 - March 18, 2000.
"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.
ProvenanceMuseum of the American Indian/ Heye Foundation (9/2580), New York, 1919, deaccessioned 1973; Robert Stolper, Munich, Germany and New York City, 1973; Michael Kern, Dresden, Germany; Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
BibliographyHeritage Vol.11, no.4 (1995):3 [Background for Table of Contents]
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.31.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, pp.138-139.
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 9th edition. New York: McGraw Hill, pg. 463.
Perriot, Francoise, and Slim Batteux, trans. Art des Indiens d'Amerique du Nord: Dans la Collection d'Eugene et Clare Thaw. Paris: Somogy editions d'Art, 1999, p. 59, fig. 44.
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art. 8th edition. New York; McGraw Hill, 2008, p. 500, fig. 20.19.
Murdock, Michelle, ed. 50 at 20: Masterpieces of American Indian Art from the Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2015, p. 18.
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. 151.
Culture
Lakota (Teton Sioux)
War Record
Datec. 1880
MediumHide, pigments
DimensionsOverall (Object Dimensions): 93 × 98 in. (236.2 × 248.9 cm)
Object numberT0049
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextBy the late 19th century, pictographic painting had developed into a detailed realistic and colorful expression of picture writing. The human and animal forms are outlined in profile, two-dimensional, and without references to landscape or perspective. Usually the figures are all looking and moving in the same direction, that is, from the right to the left. The war records on this skin, finely drawn by two different Lakota artists, record warfare between the Sioux and Apsaalooke (Crow). Choosing to document only those events in which the Sioux were victorious, the artists do provide indentification of individual heroes by depicting each warrior in full regalia rather than the actual and less elaborate war ensemble. Although praised for their delightfully decorative effect, these animated paintings were intended first and foremost as a record of the warrior's achievements and claims of prestige. (c.f. Conn 1979, fig.172; Maurer 1993, fig.231, Dockstader 1961, fig.211) This skin was extremely dirty when acquired; it was only after careful cleaning that its fine artistic quality became evident. It has several brand marks on the outside of the skin, but to date these have not been traceable. (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)Exhibition History"Art Des Indiens D'Amerique Du Nord Dans La Collection D'Eugene Thaw," Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris, France, Somogy Editions D'Art, January 21, 2000 - March 18, 2000.
"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.
ProvenanceMuseum of the American Indian/ Heye Foundation (9/2580), New York, 1919, deaccessioned 1973; Robert Stolper, Munich, Germany and New York City, 1973; Michael Kern, Dresden, Germany; Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
BibliographyHeritage Vol.11, no.4 (1995):3 [Background for Table of Contents]
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.31.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, pp.138-139.
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 9th edition. New York: McGraw Hill, pg. 463.
Perriot, Francoise, and Slim Batteux, trans. Art des Indiens d'Amerique du Nord: Dans la Collection d'Eugene et Clare Thaw. Paris: Somogy editions d'Art, 1999, p. 59, fig. 44.
Getlein, Mark. Living with Art. 8th edition. New York; McGraw Hill, 2008, p. 500, fig. 20.19.
Murdock, Michelle, ed. 50 at 20: Masterpieces of American Indian Art from the Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2015, p. 18.
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. 151.
On View
Not on view
