Important Kiowa War Shield
Kiowa culture, American Plains Indians
Circa 1850/1860
Buffalo hide, mineral pigments, muslin cloth cover
Diameter 16 1/2 “ Muslin cover 17 1/2"
Provenance: Will Knappen, Santa Fe, NM
Jim Flury, Albuquerque, NM
Bill Henderson, Olympia, WA
During the 19th century, the buffalo hide shield of the Kiowa warrior constituted his most sacred possession from the time the shield was made for him upon his first encounter with the enemy, until it was laid beneath his head upon his death. Like personal medicine, the shield was associated with a particular spirit animal or patron from which the warrior derived power and protection throughout his life.
A Kiowa warrior’s shield would first take form within a dream, during which the dreamer was instructed by the spirits how the shield must be painted and decorated, how the owner must paint and adorn himself and his pony, and what taboos and other sacred obligations he must observe in order to obtain the protection of the shield’s spirit; which could take the form of a bird, a quadruped, or one of the other personified powers of nature. The cutting, painting, and the decorating of the shield with feathers and other magical pendants were all matters of much ceremony, and upon its completion, the shield was formally consecrated in a sweat-house built for the purpose. Finally, the shield’s owner was instructed on his obligations including certain taboos, prayers, songs, and war cries, and specific methods of caring for the shield when in camp and the handling of its sacred cover. When the owner-combatant carried the shield into battle, this sacred outer cover was removed at an auspicious moment, releasing the daunting power embodied in the painted images, and thereby delivering a burst of combative energy to his foe. Although the fire-hardened buffalo hide shields of the Kiowa warrior were fully capable of deflecting enemy arrows or blows from a club or an axe, it was the power of the shield’s painted designs to which the owner of the shield looked to for protection, for the shields were conceived to be primarily of a magical nature.
The shield presented here is decidedly a masterwork of Kiowa artistry and iconography. An ascending avian spirit figure in the form of an eagle with outstretched wings, symbolizing courage and wisdom, circles above a field of deep red, a coloration associated with warfare and victory within Kiowa cosmology. Above the eagle is a green crescent painted upon a yellow field, often interpreted as the upper and lower sky at dawn. The shield retains its original muslin cover from which is suspended a pair of buffalo hide imitation bear ears. Embodying both the menace of battle and the sublime, this remarkable shield offers to us a glimpse of the powerful visionary experience of its 19th century warrior owner, and perfectly illustrates the complex relationship that the Kiowa had with conflict.
Art Loss Register certificate provided #S00253768
Kiowa culture, American Plains Indians
Circa 1850/1860
Buffalo hide, mineral pigments, muslin cloth cover
Diameter 16 1/2 “ Muslin cover 17 1/2"
Provenance: Will Knappen, Santa Fe, NM
Jim Flury, Albuquerque, NM
Bill Henderson, Olympia, WA
During the 19th century, the buffalo hide shield of the Kiowa warrior constituted his most sacred possession from the time the shield was made for him upon his first encounter with the enemy, until it was laid beneath his head upon his death. Like personal medicine, the shield was associated with a particular spirit animal or patron from which the warrior derived power and protection throughout his life.
A Kiowa warrior’s shield would first take form within a dream, during which the dreamer was instructed by the spirits how the shield must be painted and decorated, how the owner must paint and adorn himself and his pony, and what taboos and other sacred obligations he must observe in order to obtain the protection of the shield’s spirit; which could take the form of a bird, a quadruped, or one of the other personified powers of nature. The cutting, painting, and the decorating of the shield with feathers and other magical pendants were all matters of much ceremony, and upon its completion, the shield was formally consecrated in a sweat-house built for the purpose. Finally, the shield’s owner was instructed on his obligations including certain taboos, prayers, songs, and war cries, and specific methods of caring for the shield when in camp and the handling of its sacred cover. When the owner-combatant carried the shield into battle, this sacred outer cover was removed at an auspicious moment, releasing the daunting power embodied in the painted images, and thereby delivering a burst of combative energy to his foe. Although the fire-hardened buffalo hide shields of the Kiowa warrior were fully capable of deflecting enemy arrows or blows from a club or an axe, it was the power of the shield’s painted designs to which the owner of the shield looked to for protection, for the shields were conceived to be primarily of a magical nature.
The shield presented here is decidedly a masterwork of Kiowa artistry and iconography. An ascending avian spirit figure in the form of an eagle with outstretched wings, symbolizing courage and wisdom, circles above a field of deep red, a coloration associated with warfare and victory within Kiowa cosmology. Above the eagle is a green crescent painted upon a yellow field, often interpreted as the upper and lower sky at dawn. The shield retains its original muslin cover from which is suspended a pair of buffalo hide imitation bear ears. Embodying both the menace of battle and the sublime, this remarkable shield offers to us a glimpse of the powerful visionary experience of its 19th century warrior owner, and perfectly illustrates the complex relationship that the Kiowa had with conflict.
Art Loss Register certificate provided #S00253768
Kiowa culture, American Plains Indians
Circa 1850/1860
Buffalo hide, mineral pigments, muslin cloth cover
Diameter 16 1/2 “ Muslin cover 17 1/2"
Provenance: Will Knappen, Santa Fe, NM
Jim Flury, Albuquerque, NM
Bill Henderson, Olympia, WA
During the 19th century, the buffalo hide shield of the Kiowa warrior constituted his most sacred possession from the time the shield was made for him upon his first encounter with the enemy, until it was laid beneath his head upon his death. Like personal medicine, the shield was associated with a particular spirit animal or patron from which the warrior derived power and protection throughout his life.
A Kiowa warrior’s shield would first take form within a dream, during which the dreamer was instructed by the spirits how the shield must be painted and decorated, how the owner must paint and adorn himself and his pony, and what taboos and other sacred obligations he must observe in order to obtain the protection of the shield’s spirit; which could take the form of a bird, a quadruped, or one of the other personified powers of nature. The cutting, painting, and the decorating of the shield with feathers and other magical pendants were all matters of much ceremony, and upon its completion, the shield was formally consecrated in a sweat-house built for the purpose. Finally, the shield’s owner was instructed on his obligations including certain taboos, prayers, songs, and war cries, and specific methods of caring for the shield when in camp and the handling of its sacred cover. When the owner-combatant carried the shield into battle, this sacred outer cover was removed at an auspicious moment, releasing the daunting power embodied in the painted images, and thereby delivering a burst of combative energy to his foe. Although the fire-hardened buffalo hide shields of the Kiowa warrior were fully capable of deflecting enemy arrows or blows from a club or an axe, it was the power of the shield’s painted designs to which the owner of the shield looked to for protection, for the shields were conceived to be primarily of a magical nature.
The shield presented here is decidedly a masterwork of Kiowa artistry and iconography. An ascending avian spirit figure in the form of an eagle with outstretched wings, symbolizing courage and wisdom, circles above a field of deep red, a coloration associated with warfare and victory within Kiowa cosmology. Above the eagle is a green crescent painted upon a yellow field, often interpreted as the upper and lower sky at dawn. The shield retains its original muslin cover from which is suspended a pair of buffalo hide imitation bear ears. Embodying both the menace of battle and the sublime, this remarkable shield offers to us a glimpse of the powerful visionary experience of its 19th century warrior owner, and perfectly illustrates the complex relationship that the Kiowa had with conflict.
Art Loss Register certificate provided #S00253768