Kiowa Beaded Hide Leggings, with Morning Star

ca 1875

thread and sinew-sewn softly tanned hide coated in green pigment; thin, twisted, yellow fringe and a lane of faceted brass, black, and red white-heart glass beads frame outer leg

length 33-3/4 inches

Some reports say that the green used by the Plains tribes was made from dried pond algae. That may be true in some cases, but even before the Civil War traders stocked powered verdigris, a green pigment made by corroding copper with fermented grape pulp. After the Civil War, traders stocked chrome green in at least three different shades.

Likewise, the yellow fringe on these leggings could be dyed with the natural mineral limonite, applied in powder form, or it could be chrome yellow, also available from traders in three shades. On the reservations the ability of Indian artists to reach traditional pigment deposits was severely restricted (Hanson 1994: 54).

Published:
Spirits in the Art (Hanson 1994: 58, plate 58)

Ex Henry Balink (1882-1963) Collection

Overall excellent condition. Hide is soft and supple. Colors are vibrant.

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Danica Farnand

Vice President, Head of Department, Native American Art

[email protected]513.666.4935

Ms. Farnand has helmed the Native American Art department since its inception at Cowan's Auctions in 2003, developing it into one of the most respected and successful departments in the category. Throughout her career, Ms. Farnand has sold over $50 million in Native Art, and has created focused and curated auctions for 19th and 20th century Native works, Jewelry, and Modern and Contemporary Native and Indigenous Arts. A distinguished expert in her field, Ms. Farnand is a respected voice in the ongoing dialogue between Native American tribal groups and the collecting community regarding culturally significant objects, serving as a board member of the Authentic Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) since 2019, and spearheading the effort to return a sacred Ahayu:da wooden figure to its rightful home in the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico in 2020. She has also been an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow since 2016. Ms. Farnand holds an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. in Art History from John Carroll University.

Erin Rust

Associate Vice President, Specialist, Native American Art

[email protected]513.666.4947

Erin Rust is a specialist in the Native American, Prehistoric & Tribal Art department at Hindman.
Ms. Rust began as a specialist in Native American Art and Artifacts at Cowan’s Auctions in 2017, with a focus on Native jewelry and Midwestern prehistoric artifacts. She has also worked on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana and on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Ms. Rust holds a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in History, concentrating in Native Studies, from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Rust also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Native American Art: The Lifetime Collection of Forrest Fenn, Part I

Kiowa Beaded Hide Leggings, with Morning Star

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