Leader of the Mandan Beróck-Óchatä

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Artist

Karl Bodmer

Birth and death dates

1809 - 1893

Artist Nationality

Swiss

Title

Leader of the Mandan Beróck-Óchatä

Date

April 1834

Dimensions

17 × 11 15/16 in. (43.2 × 30.3 cm)

Medium

Watercolor and graphite on paper

Institution

Joslyn Art Museum

Credit Line

Gift of the Enron Art Foundation

Accession Number

1986.49.264

Rights (i.e. copyright information)

Joslyn Art Museum

Photographer credit

Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2019

Commentary

The complete buffalo head mask worn by this individual, whom Bodmer painted in early April of 1834, indicates that he is one of the leaders of the Buffalo Bull Society, an honor awarded only to the bravest of Mandan warriors. The curved, feathered wand and the lance are probably also society emblems while the wolf tails on his heels likely represent personal coups or battle feats. The decorations on his shield are symbols of personal medicine, or power. Posed quietly in this rendering, the same figure dances dramatically in the foreground of Tableau r8 of the aquatint atlas, a stunning recreation of a Buffalo Bull dance.

References in Journal

April 5, 1834

Labels:

genre, portrait

Approximate Depicted Location:

Fort Clark, North Dakota