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," Mitchell Gallery, St John's College, Annapolis, MD, February 28, 2020 - April 26, 2020.
ProvenanceAcquired in 1880 by Major John Cook, government agent at the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Dakota Territory; Greg Thorne, Los Angeles, California; Richard A. Pohrt Collection, Flint, Michigan; Private Collection, New Jersey; Sotheby's New York City, 1992 (prior to this auction red stroud and hair tassels were restored)
BibliographySotheby's. 12 June 1992, Sale 6297, lot 130.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.37.
King, J.H.C. "The Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art." American Indian Art Magazine. Vol.21, No.3. (Summer 1996): cover.
Perriot, Francoise, and Slim Batteux, trans. Arts des Indiens d'Amerique du Nord: Dans la Collection d'Eugene et Clare Thaw. Paris: Somogy editions d'Art, 1999, p. 60, fig. 45.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.130.
Berlo, Janet Catherine. Spirit Beings and Sun Dancers: Black Hawk's Vision of the Lakota World. New York: George Braziller, 2000, p.6, fig.2.
Fognell, Eva, ed. Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2010, pp. 54-56.
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. 147.
Culture
Lakota (Teton Sioux)
Shirt
Datec. 1870
MediumAntelope hide, porcupine quills, pony beads, red cloth, human and horsehair fringes, sinew thread
DimensionsOverall: 43 × 56 1/2 in. (109.2 × 143.5 cm)
Object numberT0064
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextThis shirt conforms to the poncho style worn in the Central Plains and is made from the hide of two antelopes. The four quarters and neck part of each hide were cut off and sewn on sideways, so as to form the open sleeves; the leg skins serve as appendages on sleeves and the bottom of the shirt. (c.f. Markoe 1986, p.81; Krickeberg 1954, pl.11; Batkin 1995, p.25: Lessard 1990, pp.27-29) The triangular bibs are covered with red trade cloth. Five lanes of three-quill diamond plaited quillwork sewn onto strips of leather run along the open sleeves and across the shoulders to the neck opening. Blue pony beads in lazy stitch outline both the neck opening and the edges of the bib. Smaller blue beads trim the quillwork strips. Tassels of human and horse hair wrapped with yellow quills have been restored along these strips. Such "scalp locks" may be war trophies or they denote relatives of the shirt owner. A picture in the National Archives taken in 1867, shows Tall Mandan, a Lakota, wearing a very similar shirt (illus. XX), and other examples are known from that period. Shirts of this type used to be the exclusive regalia of high-ranking and respected members of the tribe and members of certain warrior societies. (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," Mitchell Gallery, St John's College, Annapolis, MD, February 28, 2020 - April 26, 2020.
ProvenanceAcquired in 1880 by Major John Cook, government agent at the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Dakota Territory; Greg Thorne, Los Angeles, California; Richard A. Pohrt Collection, Flint, Michigan; Private Collection, New Jersey; Sotheby's New York City, 1992 (prior to this auction red stroud and hair tassels were restored)
BibliographySotheby's. 12 June 1992, Sale 6297, lot 130.
Vincent, Gilbert T. Masterpieces of American Indian Art. New York: Harry Abrams, 1995, p.37.
King, J.H.C. "The Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art." American Indian Art Magazine. Vol.21, No.3. (Summer 1996): cover.
Perriot, Francoise, and Slim Batteux, trans. Arts des Indiens d'Amerique du Nord: Dans la Collection d'Eugene et Clare Thaw. Paris: Somogy editions d'Art, 1999, p. 60, fig. 45.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.130.
Berlo, Janet Catherine. Spirit Beings and Sun Dancers: Black Hawk's Vision of the Lakota World. New York: George Braziller, 2000, p.6, fig.2.
Fognell, Eva, ed. Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, NY: Fenimore Art Museum, 2010, pp. 54-56.
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. 147.
On View
Not on view
