Object Details
- Collector
- Dr. Jean L. Berlandier
- Donor Name
- Lt. Darius N. Couch
- FROM CARD: "CEREMONIAL SHIELD OF THE COMANCHE INDIANS. MADE OF TANNED RAWHIDE WITH BLACK AND WHITE CENTER, LOOKS LIKE A TARGET. EAGLE FEATHERS SUSPENDED FROM THE MIDDLE. SHIELD AND COVER. SHIELD, A THICK/ROUND PIECE OF BUFFALO HIDE WITH DECORATIONS. COVER. BUCKSKIN; SMALL BLUE CENTER STIPPLED WITH BLACK; AND ANIMAL WITH FIVE LONG CLAWS ON EACH FOOT AND A LONG POINTED NOSE [identified by Riku Ha¨ma¨la¨inen as a bear]; BLACK BORDER. TAMAULIPAS. MEX. 1867. SHIELD WAS COLLECTED 1828-1851 BY JEAN LOUIS BERLANDIER. COUCH BOUGHT COLLECTION FROM BERLANDIER'S WIDOW.-JCE."
- Described on p. 11 of Ha¨ma¨la¨inen, Riku. 2010. Bear power motifs on Plains Indian shields = Ba¨renmotive in Schildbemalungen der Plainsindianer. Wyk auf Foehr, Germany: Tatanka Press: "On the front surface of the rawhide disc [of the shield] is a painted horned figure and two rudimentary human motifs on the upper half of the surface. To the outer edge of the shield is tied a border of red woolen trade cloth with numerous white pelican feathers. ... The background of the cover of this shield is yellow, and at the centre is a circle. On the right side of the circle is a bear in black whose body is situated in vertical fashion, heading upwards. A tuft of small red-dyed feathers is tied to the centre of the cover."
- Record Last Modified
- 25 Sep 2020
- Specimen Count
- 2
- Culture
- Comanche (Numunuu)
- Accession Date
- 1853
- Collection Date
- 1828 to 1851
- Accession Number
- 66A00085
- USNM Number
- E4430-0
- Object Type
- Shield
- Place
- Not Given, Texas, United States, North America
- See more items in
- Anthropology
- NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
- Topic
- Ethnology
- Record ID
- nmnhanthropology_8463325
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/361d60201-93a4-4d1e-b93d-af837259c552
