Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Shield with Abstract Imagery
Not on view
This rawhide shield is distinguished by its abstract, visionary imagery. Although the precise meaning is unknown, it may evoke the Thunderbird, guardian of war. Between heavy marks, the central band is filled with green wavelike lines, while a single red diagonal bolt crosses the field of spiritual energy. In Plains paintings, wavy lines represent the transmission of spiritual power, and it is likely this is the meaning here. However, it seems that the warrior’s medicine may have failed him, as a bullet hole is visible in the shield’s upper left section.
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