Chief's War Shirt
1 of 4
Object Label
This shirt may have been made for trade, because it has no embellishments that identify a specific warrior owner.
The woman who made it was proficient in many techniques. The bib is delicately embroidered with rays of traditional porcupine quills. On the bodice a two-pony-bead edging technique is used, with blue beads on the top and red garnet beads on the sides. Pony beads are so called because they were brought in by traders in the packs of ponies. The shoulder seam coverings were finely woven on a loom. Hanging tabs along the side and sleeves show pierced decorations.
Caption
Red River Metis; or Yanktonai, Nakota, Sioux. Chief's War Shirt, 19th century. Buckskin, porcupine quills, garnet beads, pony beads, seed beads, thread , 39 in. (99.1 cm) Floor to top of mannequin- 56 ½ “ Base of mannequin 12 x 12” Shirt on the mannequin Front 40 “ long Back 39” long Width of the shirt on the mannequin across the front with the arms at a slight angle as they are now- 36” Shoulder width across the front- 24 1/2” Front to the back width on the side is 16” Length of sleeves 2. Brooklyn Museum, Henry L. Batterman Fund and Frank Sherman Benson Fund, 50.67.4. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 50.67.4_front_SL4.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Chief's War Shirt
Date
19th century
Geography
Place made: Fort Snelling, Minnesota, United States
Medium
Buckskin, porcupine quills, garnet beads, pony beads, seed beads, thread
Classification
Dimensions
39 in. (99.1 cm) Floor to top of mannequin- 56 ½ “ Base of mannequin 12 x 12” Shirt on the mannequin Front 40 “ long Back 39” long Width of the shirt on the mannequin across the front with the arms at a slight angle as they are now- 36” Shoulder width across the front- 24 1/2” Front to the back width on the side is 16” Length of sleeves 2
Credit Line
Henry L. Batterman Fund and Frank Sherman Benson Fund
Accession Number
50.67.4
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
How did women work the porcupine quills?
Carefully! Joking aside; Native American quillwork involves softening and dying the stiff quills and, once they are malleable, weaving/twisting them together or sewing them onto the leather. The quillworker may have held them in her mouth to keep them soft and pliable and then flattened them by drawing them through her teeth (if you look closely you can see they are flat and not round like a quill just out of a porcupine). In the 19th century, the whole process would have been very time consuming, which makes the density of the quillwork on display all the more impressive.Impressive!What's this kind cloth?
This war shirt by a Red River Metis or Yanktonai Sioux artist isn't made of cloth but rather buckskin which an animal hide.What's this?
This is an elaborate men's shirt made by a Red River Metis or Yanktonai, Nakota, Sioux artist. Traditionally, these shirts would be created by women for specific male owners, who may have also modified the shirt through personalized embellishments. This shirt in particular may have been made for the trade market at Fort Snelling, an army fort and trade hub in Minnesota. The woman who made this was proficient in many techniques; if you look closely you can see quillwork, beading, and pierced decoration!
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