48138

Pueblo Buffalo Rawhide War Shield

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:3,750.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Pueblo Buffalo Rawhide War Shield
<B>Pueblo Buffalo Rawhide War Shield</B></I><BR>Circa 1800<BR>Diameter 23 in.<BR><BR>This early, slightly convex war shield is composed of two layers of buffalo rawhide, the perimeter finely and tightly stitched along the rim. A horned figure dominates the center of the shield. A series of yellow triangles emerge from the horizon line that marks the lower third of the shield. Three yellow spheres move across the center. The reverse is undecorated and vestiges of the carrying ties remain.<BR>The Pueblo people fought primarily on foot and used the shield as a true defensive device. Its effectiveness was enhanced by supernatural protection afforded by the painted symbols.<BR>This shield is stylistically similar to a number of documented shields collected at Jemez Pueblo in the early years of the 20th century. (See: Wright, Barton; <I>Pueblo Shields,</B></I> Northland Press, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1976, pp. 48-61.)<BR><BR>Provenance<BR>Christie's, Sale 1332, Lot 53, January 12, 2004.<BR><BR>