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.
Síh-Sä, Mandan Man
Karl Bodmer Swiss
Not on view
Maximilian recorded that Síh-Sä (Red Feather) was "brought up" by James Kipp, Fort Clark’s French-Canadian administrator who had married into a prominent Mandan family. Their kinship likely followed Mandan customs, in which family encompasses more than immediate biological relations. As a resident of the fort, Síh-Sä bridged White and Mandan worlds. He aided Maximilian and Bodmer in their research, hunted for the travelers, and guided them to Mih-Tutta-Hangkusch and nearby medicine sites. Bodmer completed Síh-Sä’s portrait after months of this invaluable help. Strips of blue and white beadwork adorn Síh-Sä’s leggings, which he had recently purchased from a member of the Káua Karakáchka, a men’s military society. His full-length, three-quarter pose highlights the quiver, also a society insignia, wrapped in otter skin with a red wool trailer.
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