An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Hide Shirtc. 1890
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.
Only Lakota (Sioux) chiefs had the right to wear painted shirts, an honor they earned through bravery.
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
In the quiet whispers of history, the painted shirts of the Lakota people emerge as symbols of honor, sacrifice, and the evolving nature of bravery. For generations, only the esteemed head chiefs of the Lakota had the right to don these vibrant garments, each intricate design woven with tales of valor and responsibility. These shirts were more than mere fabric; they were a tapestry of human experience—an embodiment of courage earned through trials faced and comrades lost.
Yet, as the sun set on a once vast and free land, European Americans reshaped the very fabric of Lakota life. Forced into reservations, the paintings once worn by the noble chiefs began to adopt a different significance. No longer symbols of a chief's status, the painted shirts transformed into honors reserved for battle veterans. The shifting tides of time stripped away the garb of active warriors, cloaking the legacy in a bittersweet nostalgia.
Within the threads of these garments, family members contributed more than just fabric; they offered locks of hair—each strand echoing a war exploit, a story of bravery threaded into the very essence of the wearer. Each lock was a reminder, a tribute to those who fought fiercely for their people. As you imagine these painted shirts, envision not just the colors and designs, but the lives they represented, woven together by sacrifice, pride, and the hope for a time when honor could once again be embraced in its truest form.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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