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War shield

Ethnographic Notes

Black Road's war shield. Shields often had several covers, so all three compositions, here, probably were part of the same protection. The outer cover, painted only blue, is shown at left. The buffalo figure and four stars on a red ground, at center, would be the inner cover. The design of a jack rabbit centered between black and red arcs, on a blue ground, would represent the actual painted shield, exposed only when riding against the enemy. Rabbit carcasses commonly were used as bait when trapping eagles. Here, a similar concept is in play: the bait is offered to attract the enemy, who will be entrapped and killed as easily as an eagle. Hopeful proof of this is in the numerous attached eagle feathers, analogs of enemy scalps. The four bow-lance carriers of Black Road's Sacred Bow Society wore “wristlets and anklets of rabbit fur, because the rabbit was in some way associated with the medicine-bow” (Wissler, 1907: 52).


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Provenance

Private owner. Provenance provided by 3rd generation descendants of Charles A. Wilkins on a typed note taped ...

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Document Info
Plate No: 38
Page No: --
Media: pencil and colored pencil
Dimensions: 6.5 x 7.25 inches
Custodian
Personal Collection
Artist
Black Road
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