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The upper half of the shirt, including the "sleeves," has been stained blue-green, the lower part yellow. Tassels of human hair, wrapped in porcupine quills, form a fringe along the stripes of lazy-stitchwork beadwork. Shirts decorated in this manner are often identified as garments of Wicasas, a highly select group of tribal leaders among the Lakota. It seems, however, that this blue/yellow painting had lost its political significance by the end of the 19th century. Fine shirts, their decorations having prestigious connotations, had become popular among the elderly war veterans and the members of the tribal police. The American flag became a popular design motif among the Sioux during the latter part of the 19th century. It was adopted into their culture and represents a number of meanings. For example. it could have been a coup that was taken as a war honor and later became a symbol of protection (cf. Maurer 1992, p. 236, fig. 224; Batkin 1995, pp. 24-25). A similar example exists in the collection of the Bern Historical Museum of Switzerland (Si40/1). (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
Exhibition HistoryMuseum of Our National Heritage, Lexington, MA, December 6, 1994 - May 2, 1995.
ProvenanceRon Bork, Aurora, Illinois; Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
BibliographyPohrt Sr., Richard. The American Indian, The American Flag. Flint, MI: Flint Institute of Arts, 1975, p. 82, fig. 93.
Morning Star Gallery advertisement. American Indian Art Magazine. Vol. 14, No. 2. (Spring 1989): 2.
Herbst, Toby, and Joel Kopp. The Flag in American Indian Art. Cooperstown, NY: New York State Historical Association, 1993, p. 109, pl. 109.
Monture, Joel. The Complete Guide to Traditional Native American Beadwork. New York: Collier Books MacMillan Publishing, 1993, n.p., pl.6.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.131.
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. 145.
Culture
Lakota (Teton Sioux)
Shirt
Datec. 1890
DimensionsOverall: 34 3/4 × 20 in. (88.3 × 50.8 cm)
Object numberT0072
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextThis shirt is representative of the changing fashions by the end of the 19th century. It is still basically a poncho, the body and arm parts left open along the sides, the bottom still retaining the skins of the deer's legs. However, the parts covering the arms have been cut to look like regular sleeves, though not yet sewn together.The upper half of the shirt, including the "sleeves," has been stained blue-green, the lower part yellow. Tassels of human hair, wrapped in porcupine quills, form a fringe along the stripes of lazy-stitchwork beadwork. Shirts decorated in this manner are often identified as garments of Wicasas, a highly select group of tribal leaders among the Lakota. It seems, however, that this blue/yellow painting had lost its political significance by the end of the 19th century. Fine shirts, their decorations having prestigious connotations, had become popular among the elderly war veterans and the members of the tribal police. The American flag became a popular design motif among the Sioux during the latter part of the 19th century. It was adopted into their culture and represents a number of meanings. For example. it could have been a coup that was taken as a war honor and later became a symbol of protection (cf. Maurer 1992, p. 236, fig. 224; Batkin 1995, pp. 24-25). A similar example exists in the collection of the Bern Historical Museum of Switzerland (Si40/1). (From the Catalog of the Thaw Collection of American Indian Art, 2nd ed.)
Exhibition HistoryMuseum of Our National Heritage, Lexington, MA, December 6, 1994 - May 2, 1995.
ProvenanceRon Bork, Aurora, Illinois; Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
BibliographyPohrt Sr., Richard. The American Indian, The American Flag. Flint, MI: Flint Institute of Arts, 1975, p. 82, fig. 93.
Morning Star Gallery advertisement. American Indian Art Magazine. Vol. 14, No. 2. (Spring 1989): 2.
Herbst, Toby, and Joel Kopp. The Flag in American Indian Art. Cooperstown, NY: New York State Historical Association, 1993, p. 109, pl. 109.
Monture, Joel. The Complete Guide to Traditional Native American Beadwork. New York: Collier Books MacMillan Publishing, 1993, n.p., pl.6.
Vincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.131.
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. 145.
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