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.
Mexkehme-Sukahs, Piegan Blackfoot Chief
Karl Bodmer Swiss
Not on view
Mexkehme-Sukahs (Iron Shirt) was part of a sizable Blackfoot assembly that welcomed Bodmer and Maximilian to Fort McKenzie with gunfire, handshakes, and gift giving. The distinguished chief galloped into the gathering with fanfare, wearing a European-style wool military uniform and saber received during trade negotiations. For his portrait, Mexkehme-Sukahs wore his Blackfoot regalia, a buckskin shirt lined with otter fur and covered with brass disks and strips of beadwork. The chief’s striking face paint includes zigzag designs that emanate from his vermilion-lined eyes and mouth, symbols that reflect his experiences and personal tastes. Blue glass beads representing eyes imbue the ermine pelt affixed to his hair with an especially lifelike quality.
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