This wonderfully modeled and painted vessel represents a seated figure of rank with tattoos of what appear to be human faces—possibly women with long hair—on his knees. He wears a red and black belt, a band tied around his shoulders, and a red scarf or band wrapped in and around his hair. He also wears a white headdress and collar—perhaps feathered, perhaps some kind of a textile—with a red pendant hanging down below his jaw. This is an unusual piece, but it portrays an individual of importance.

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian
Ongoing

The National Museum of the American Indian  |  George Gustav Heye Center  |  New York, NY

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