Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Man's Shirt

Upper Missouri River region

Not on view

Three artists, two male and one female, collaborated on this shirt. The men—most likely the great warrior who subsequently wore the shirt and a comrade—each painted one side of the garment. Together they depicted thirty-five figures with elongated and highly abstracted bodies. These forms closely resemble images inscribed on rock walls during this period and earlier. Distinctive shields, sashes, hairstyles, and weapons identify many of the individuals. The female artist was someone who embodied the highest values of their culture. She was asked to create the porcupine quill embroidered strips edged in blue glass beads, and she sewed them in the classic configuration over the garment’s shoulders and down the arms.

Man's Shirt, Native-tanned leather, pigment, porcupine quills, glass beads, maidenhair fern, Upper Missouri River region

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.