On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Piegan Blackfoot Man
Karl Bodmer Swiss
Not on view
Maximilian did not record the name of this Piegan chief, but perhaps his name appears in this text, in the narrative wrapped around his body.
Perhaps the name is encoded in the exploit robe, which records multiple scenes of a single heroic event. Precise markings of horse hooves and fallen warriors help us read the action as it moves from one scene to the next.
The robe conveys power, beauty, and interdependence: paints extracted from Piegan homelands decorate a luminous elk hide, and the meticulous labor of women appears in the peg holes that once secured the hide while tanning.
The individual brings power to and through the collective. Many stories appear on this robe. And, perhaps, many names.
—Beth Piatote
(Nez Perce)
Author of The Beadworkers: Stories
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