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PLATE 144

Ethnographic Notes

It is rare in the ledger art genre for there to be a unique composition, but this is the only drawing known to the author which immortalizes the sport of pot-shooting prairie dogs. The rodent's dramatic, though humorous pose prefigures Bugs Bunny cartoons by about three-quarters of a century.

In an interesting variation on Plate 120, Arrow combines a full-frontal perspective view of the horse, with a full-rear perspective of the marksman's head---a very sophisticated combination. Arrow---for of course this is a self-portrait---wears the yellow-painted leather leggings with blue-painted fringe, seen previously in Plate 138; the brass-bead bandolier with herbs wrapped in a packet of blue-striped red cloth, last seen in Plate 140; and the same otter fur hair wraps with red panels at top, seen again in Plate 154, where his name-glyph also appears. The 1873 Winchester carbine is the same weapon he used earlier, in Plates 76 & 120.

This drawing is also significant for its careful depiction of the Cheyenne male style of hair dressing, with a medial parting line interrupted by a circular scalplock on the crown. Note that the part has been accented with vermillion paint; and a yellow string of brass beads is tied to the base of the scalplock, trailing down the right side of the hair, with its other end secured under the otter wrapping. The bottom of the plaited scalplock is wrapped with narrow strips of otter, seen elsewhere in Plates 1, 13 & 156. For a 1904 photograph showing a rear view of this Cheyenne hairstyle, see Cowdrey, 1999: Fig. 52.

Although the horse carries Arrow's yellow, vaquero saddle and matching rifle scabbard, it is not the same animal shown in Plate 120. Instead, it is the fork-earred black stallion belonging to his Nisson comrade, shown in Plates 106, 134 & 136.

The golden eagle tail feather usually tied to the browstrap of Arrow's silver-mounted headstall has been temporarily moved to the tip of the stylish, black umbrella lying on the ground.


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Provenance

Various owners (dispersed). Collected in 1882 at Darlington, Indian Territory (Oklahoma) by Sallie C. Maffet....

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Document Info
Plate No: 46
Page No: 144
Media:
Dimensions: 8.5 * 14 inches
Custodian
Various Private Owners
Artist
Arrow
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