Southern Plains Buffalo Hide Shield and Cover

mid-19th century

shield created from thick, smoke-tanned buffalo hide and painted in yellow ochre and faint red dots; pierced through for handle and attachments
diameter 15-3/4 inches

fitted cover made from softly-tanned elk hide painted in red, green, and black; designed in two halves with zigzagging and circular elements
diameter 16-1/4 inches

Donated by the Davis Family of Alleghany, PA to the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society in 1920. Reported as identified as "Comanche-Southern Plains" by the Historical Society and having been collected in Oklahoma.

Ex David Pichelner Collection

Ex Terry Winchell, Fighting Bear

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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.

Native American Art, Session I

Southern Plains Buffalo Hide Shield and Cover

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