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The rawhide medicine shield was perhaps the most coveted possession of the Plains Indian Warrior. The Medicine Shield's greatest value lay in its unique sacred powers symbolized on the shield through various handpainted images.
The Soft Leather Studio offers Native American shields done in the traditional manner of handpainting using earth pigments on rawhide.
Historical Reproduction
of Cheyenne War Shield
The shield on the left is a historical
reproduction of this shield which
is in the Detroit Institute of Arts.
This shield is both a functional and
symbolic object used in ceremony and war by the Cheyenne people. The images,
taken from religious symbols, transformed the shield into a magical amulet
that protected the warrior in battle. This shield belonged to the warrior
Little Rock, who fought in the famous battle against General Custer, who
destroyed the Cheyenne camp in violation of a treaty.
Symbols:
Thunderbird--sacred power of thunder and the greatest spirit of all
Smaller Birds--other powers
Crescent Shape--moon
Seven Circles--stars we know as the Pleiades, or the seven sisters
Blue Border--Grandmother Earth, who, according to legend, gave
the Indians corn and the buffalo
Red--symbolic color of supernatural blessing and life
Bells Eagle and Hawk Feathers--related to the powers of nature, of
wind, flight, and earth
Shield done on rawhide in the traditional technique using only native earth pigments.
$250.00
SOLD
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