Assiniboine or Blackfoot Beaded and Fringed Hide War Shirt, Montana

hide, natural pigments, glass beadwork, ermine, red trade cloth.

Robert Coburn Collection, Circle C Ranch, Montana
By family descent
H. Malcolm Grimmer
Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe NM
George Shaw, Aspen CO
Hugh and Gay Eaton Collection, Aspen CO, acquired from the above

Aspen Art Museum, Art of Grace and Passion, Aspen CO, 1999

Morning Star Gallery, cat. vol. 2, p. 37, illustrated
Shaw, 1999, p. 24, illustrated

Very good overall condition with typical wear from age and use. Less than 2% restoration/conservation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This War Shirt is an elegant manifestation of the very finest traditions of warrior art. Composed of two deer hides sewn together, overlaid with bright blue strips of Venetian glass beadwork and trimmed with winter-white ermine tails, it was meant to convey status from great distances. It was also a regal reminder of the achievements of its owner.

This shirt was collected by Robert Coburn who found the Circle C Ranch in the late 19^th Century, one of the largest ranches in Montana comprising 30,000 acres in the long shadows of the Little Rockies.

Reference: Horse Capture and Horse Capture, 2001, p. 17: "Plains shirts probably evolved from painted robes..."

p. 22

"It is important to remember, however, that these shirts are more than a wonderful art form. They represent a difficult period of history on the American Plains, and a spiritual response of Plains Indian people to a dangerously shifting world. In long ago days, Plains Indians organized themselves by relationships into tribes, each coming to share a common culture...To protect themselves and assure their survival, each tribe developed a class of soldiers called warriors...One acknowledgement and reward for great military deeds earned by successful warriors was the privilege of wearing specially made shirts and leggings that proclaimed their accomplishments and lofty status."

P. 25

"Relatively few Plains war shirts survive in museum collections or private hands....Through art, color, and power, they embody the creativity, bravery, history, philosophy, and religion of the people who made and wore them." 

Sotheby's New York, May 2013, lot 84; Sotheby's New York, May 2011, lot 16; Sotheby's New York, May 2006, lot 183.