Cellphone case: Buffalo Medicine

Object Details

Donor Name

Jennie Kappenman

Mobile phone/cellphone case printed with contemporary ledger art design, including a centrally placed stylized illustration of a buffalo/bison in black, red and golden yellow, framed in black with a printed black foreground with circular cutouts exposing the ledger text beneath. Made from matte black thermoplastic polymer with a maple wood overlay, An impressed pattern is visible around the sides of the case. Portals created in the case provide access to phone buttons and plugs.

Artist statement: “The buffalo [bison] was the staff of life for most Plains Indian Nations. Today the buffalo is still a central part of life, from food to ceremony. Originally drawn on the ledger paper used across much of John's work, this particular piece pays tribute to the power and sacrifice that the buffalo continues to give. The bold design incorporates important symbols from Blackfeet art to depict rich concepts in a lively, graphic way. The lifeline, or sacred breath of the buffalo, is represented here with an arrow, and the circles along the top and bottom borders depict stars. The cross symbol at the top of the design represents the Morning Star, which plays an important role in creation and ceremony among Plains Indian Nations." (https://johnisaiahpepion.com/products/roam-phone-case). For more information see also "Piikani Symbology: Morning Star & Stars" by John Pepion, Feb. 8, 2018, https://johnisaiahpepion.com/blogs/news/test-blog : "Much of Piikani symbology includes the imagery of the Morning star, as well as other stars and constellations. In Piikani origin stories the Moon married the Sun, and the son they had was the Morning Star. The Morning Star is often found on Piikani painted medicine lodges, depicted as a cross looking symbol on the back. You'll see numerous circles on Piikani painted medicine lodges as well, which represent stars. Similar circles can be found on tipi flaps, representing constellations and star bunches. When these circles are found at the bottom of painted medicine lodges, they represent falling stars."

Record Last Modified

11 Jul 2023

Specimen Count

1

Culture

Blackfoot (Niitsitapi, Siksikaitsitapi), Piegan (Piikani)

Accession Number

2090185

USNM Number

E437468-0

Object Type

Cellphone case

Length

7.52 cm

Height

14.61 cm

Place

Browning (near), Blackfoot Reservation, Montana, United States, North America

See more items in

Anthropology

NMNH - Anthropology Dept.

Topic

Ethnology

Record ID

nmnhanthropology_16792214

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/30d6f6bcf-81b3-46a2-88ea-3bfbab215e94