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PLAINS INDIAN ART COLLECTION

Exploring the Wide Array of Native American Art

The current display of the Museum’s Plains Indian Art Collection is only a fraction of artifacts that ultimately will be exhibited.The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is planning a new expansion of exhibit space in two adjacent historic buildings that will bring to life the art and culture of Native American Indian tribes. Our American Indian Art and Culture Gallery will display objects including weaponry, cradles, war bonnets, beaded war shirts, painted parfleche envelopes, illustrations on muslin and other rare and important American Indian artifacts. Also of noteworthy mention are approximately 90 hand-colored stone lithographs from the Folio Edition of the “History of the Indian Tribes of North America” (1836-1844) by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall, Esq.

Comanche shield c. 1880s

PLAINS INDIAN ART COLLECTION

The current display of the Museum’s Plains Indian Art Collection is only a fraction of artifacts that ultimately will be exhibited.The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is planning a new expansion of exhibit space in two adjacent historic buildings that will bring to life the art and culture of Native American Indian tribes. Our American Indian Art and Culture Gallery will display objects including weaponry, cradles, war bonnets, beaded war shirts, painted parfleche envelopes, illustrations on muslin and other rare and important American Indian artifacts. Also of noteworthy mention are approximately 90 hand-colored stone lithographs from the Folio Edition of the “History of the Indian Tribes of North America” (1836-1844) by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall, Esq.

Exploring the Wide Array of Native American Art

Gallery

  • Bear claw necklace c. 1860-1870. Bear claws, rawhide, brass beads, with brain- tanned hide; constructed with a single row of claws spaced with two rows of brass beads between them. Brain-tanned hide is wrapped around the inside portion of the necklace. (photo 1 of 3)
  • Bear claw necklace c. 1860-1870. Bear claws, rawhide, brass beads, with brain- tanned hide; constructed with a single row of claws spaced with two rows of brass beads between them. Brain-tanned hide is wrapped around the inside portion of the necklace. (photo 2 of 3)
  • Bear claw necklace c. 1860-1870. Bear claws, rawhide, brass beads, with brain- tanned hide; constructed with a single row of claws spaced with two rows of brass beads between them. Brain-tanned hide is wrapped around the inside portion of the necklace. (photo 3 of 3)
  • Comanche cradle board c. 1880 (photo 3 of 3) Wood slats, brass tack, seed beads, trade beads, silver crescent, brain-tanned hide, saddle leather, rawhide, blue, green, and yellow pigment, brass conchos.
  • Comanche cradle board c. 1880 (photo 2 of 3) Wood slats, brass tack, seed beads, trade beads, silver crescent, brain-tanned hide, saddle leather, rawhide, blue, green, and yellow pigment, brass conchos.
  • Comanche cradle board c. 1880 (photo 1 of 3) Wood slats, brass tack, seed beads, trade beads, silver crescent, brain-tanned hide, saddle leather, rawhide, blue, green, and yellow pigment, brass conchos.
  • Grizzly Bear Society rattle C. 1840. Ring-shaped form, possibly of bear's bladder, painted with blue dots and ringed with red ochre on the inner portion. Corn husk wrapped handle, fringe suspensions.
  • Cree pad saddle c.1850. Buffalo rawhide stretched over a hoop and laced around the back. Decorated with red shroud trade cloth along upper edge with carved dew claws, suspended along with two remnants of two feathers wrapped in red cloth.
  • Blackfoot Shield C. 1880-1890. Rawhide shield, brain tanned deer hide edging and lacing. Remnants of yellow ochre and several suspensions with mescal beans and carved pods emulating bison dewclaws.
  • Assiniboine war shirt and buffalo horn bonnet c. 1900s (photo 3 of 3). A classic Assiniboine war shirt and matching buffalo horn split bonnet with long ermine ornamentation and original red trade cloth.
  • Assiniboine war shirt and buffalo horn bonnet c. 1900s (photo 2 of 3). A classic Assiniboine war shirt and matching buffalo horn split bonnet with long ermine ornamentation and original red trade cloth.
  • Assiniboine war shirt and buffalo horn bonnet c. 1900s (photo 1 of 3). A classic Assiniboine war shirt and matching buffalo horn split bonnet with long ermine ornamentation and original red trade cloth.
  • Beaver Top Hat with Quilled Hatband c. late 1880s. Beaver top hat, brain-tanned deer hide, sinew, dyed porcupine quills, glass sed beads. Most western-style clothing items were changed by Native Americans by adding the new owner's personal touch, like feather beaded strips or, as in this case, a porcupine quilled headband. The star and moon designs on this quilled headband are symbols used by early Native Americans in beadwork, drawings and quillwork. Native Americans bartered with early white traders for western-style clothing and altered it using traditional decoration: items such as shirts, dresses, leggings, headdresses and, as seen here, a classic European top hat.
  • Split Horn Bonnet, Nez Perce C. 1880. Brain-tanned leather, ermine hides, sinew, cotton thread, brass beads, glass seed beads, red wool shroud cloth, red dyed cotton muslin, feathers, buffalo hide, brass hawk bells, dyed red hackle feathers and silk ribbon. This remarkable example of a Northern Plains horned bonnet is covered with pieces of white ermine and has split buffalo horns, secured to a brain-tanned leather cap. Strung brass beads secure the horns together. Most horned headdresses have common design elements. The addition of natural and dyed feathers, locks of hair, and ribbon reflect the owner's personal design. The beaded style of the headband identifies the tribal affiliation.
  • Feathered Headdress, Sioux C. 1880. Felt skull cap, feathers, dyed feather fluffs, sinew, cotton thread. red shroud wool cloth, ermine skins, brain-tanned hide, and glass seed beads. This classic Northern Plains headdress is constructed on a felt hat crown originally cut into fringe and folded up as a head band. A beaded head band was later added by the owner, thought to be a Sioux Chief using an alias name of "Chasky." This headdress was originally collected by Alan and Lydia Quarry, who were appointed Indian agents to the Native Americans who fled to Canada after the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
  • Southern Plains Horned Bonnet, Apache C. 1880-1890 Brain-tanned antelope hide, dyed red wool shroud cloth, sinew, cotton thread, brass spots and antelope horns with human hair drops. The headband is made up by adding hide binding with brass spots trimmed with red shroud cloth. The back is decorated with human hair drops trimmed in red cloth. Most Native American tribes had some type of headdress for male adults. Horned bonnets are less prevalent. It is believed that using animal parts on the headdresses and bonnets harnesses the animal's traits, such as speed and agility.
  • Comanche shield c. 1880s
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Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum
302 North Esplanade Street
Cuero, Texas 77954
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