
Collection Online as of February 4, 2023
Hide, pigment, glass beads, human hair
Overall: 97.8 x 150 cm (38 1/2 x 59 1/16 in.)
Bequest of David S. McMillan 1984.1046
not on view
Traditionally, only Lakota (Sioux) head chiefs had the right to wear painted shirts, an honor they earned through sacrifice and bravery but lost by failing in their responsibilities. By the time this example was created, European Americans had confined the Lakota to reservations, and painted shirts had become the privilege of battle veterans rather than of active warriors. Family members probably donated the locks of hair, each representing a war exploit.