Man’s Leggings
- Culture
- Plateau artist
- Date
- c.1880
- made in
- United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Costume & clothing, textiles
- Collection
- Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- each: 32 × 24 1/2 in. (81.3 × 62.2 cm)
- Credit Line
- The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr.
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 98:2010a,b
NOTES
Horizontal lines of faded red paint on this garment function as visual aides to memory, a long-standing practice in Native American art of the Plains and Mountain West. Each mark relates successively to the wearer’s past military accomplishments, effectively relaying the man’s high status. When worn, attachments of hide fringe and dyed-red horsehair swayed to their own rhythm as if animated by an independent force. This dynamism heightened the sense of power that these leggings bestowed on the man.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at [email protected].