Producer unknown to us
Leather shield
Americas, United States
19th/20th century
Deerskin, wooden frame, nailed, painted, sewn
Collection context unknown to us
Handover to Dresden from Museum Burg Kriebstein in 1974
59760
This rawhide shield was painted with a bird and a four-pointed star.
It came to Dresden from Museum Burg Kriebstein in 1974 as part of the GDR’s museum profiling campaign. Missing documents make further research on the origin of the object impossible for the time being.
Material and artisanship of the shield cast doubt on the documented “Sioux” origin: The leather has not yet been identified, but it is clear that it was not made from the commonly used bison. It was neither tanned nor strapped to the wooden frame on both sides, but nailed instead. It is also highly unusual that there is a seam across the shield, which reduces the tension and durability of the entire shield and makes impossible protection against incoming projectiles. Thus, the item may have merely served for show purposes. The remains of three leather straps can be seen on the frame, which may have originally held feathers. Two leather straps for carrying the shield were nailed to its back.
Frank Usbeck