Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Horse Mask
Not on view
A horse laden with gifts likely paraded in this ornamental mask at Fourth of July celebrations. Adults and children—dressed in their finest regalia—led the animal, distributing gifts to their fellow tribe members. Beaded rows of American flags appear on the face and right side of the mask, along with crosses representing the four sacred directions. Events taking place on the Fourth of July became lavish affairs on Lakota reservations, replacing traditional rituals banned by the government.
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