Assiniboine Camp

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Artist

Karl Bodmer

Birth and death dates

1809 - 1893

Artist Nationality

Swiss

Title

Assiniboine Camp

Date

June 30, 1833

Dimensions

7 9/16 × 10 5/16 in. (19.2 × 26.2 cm)

Medium

Watercolor on paper

Institution

Joslyn Art Museum

Credit Line

Gift of the Enron Art Foundation

Accession Number

1986.49.379

Rights (i.e. copyright information)

Joslyn Art Museum

Photographer credit

Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2019

Commentary

On June 30, a band of Assiniboines set up a camp of about twenty-five tipis at Fort Union. One of the tipis, the dwelling of a chief, was distinguished from the rest by the large bear figures painted on each of its sides. The bear was a symbol of strong supernatural power, a medicine sought after to insure success in battle or for aid in treating the sick. The man who owned this tipi presumably had obtained this special power. Three travois are propped together in front of the tipi, each consisting of a circular, netted platform attached to two long poles. The travois was used to transport baggage; bundles were strapped to the platform and the opposite ends of the poles were harnessed to an animal which dragged the load behind it. Dogs were used for this purpose long before the horse was introduced to the Plains, and continued to be so used long afterwards by groups who had relatively few horses, like the Assiniboine. The aquatint based on this watercolor (Vignette XVI) has an added detail showing a dog harnessed to a travois.

References in Journal

June 28, 1833

Labels:

structure , genre, portrait , Fort Union, North Dakota

Approximate Depicted Location:

Fort Union, North Dakota