Sioux Quilled Hair Drop, with Cross of Lorraine

third quarter 19th century

overall length 23 inches

Any rank-and-file adult male wore a bull's tail or a horse's tail in their hair to make their coiffures more impressive. In the 1850s, these bull's tails were decorated with beadwork, quillwork, mirrors, and so on, and used to secure feathers worn as war honors...

In this example, the double-barred French-style Cross of Lorraine is stamped from base metal. A popular style often seen in older Canadian-produced trade silver, this one is a religious souvenir... An early missionary to the Sioux wished to deliver a sermon in the native language. He drew a cross and asked an elderly Indian the proper name for it, which was given as "tusweca". During the sermon, the Sioux were astounded to learn that the Son of God had been nailed to a dragonfly (Hanson 1994: 105).

Published:
Spirits in the Art (Hanson 1994: 105, plate 110)

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Traded from the Gilchrist Institute, Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Danica Farnand

Vice President, Head of Department, Native American Art

[email protected]513.666.4935

Ms. Farnand has helmed the Native American Art department since its inception at Cowan's Auctions in 2003, developing it into one of the most respected and successful departments in the category. Throughout her career, Ms. Farnand has sold over $50 million in Native Art, and has created focused and curated auctions for 19th and 20th century Native works, Jewelry, and Modern and Contemporary Native and Indigenous Arts. A distinguished expert in her field, Ms. Farnand is a respected voice in the ongoing dialogue between Native American tribal groups and the collecting community regarding culturally significant objects, serving as a board member of the Authentic Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) since 2019, and spearheading the effort to return a sacred Ahayu:da wooden figure to its rightful home in the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico in 2020. She has also been an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow since 2016. Ms. Farnand holds an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. in Art History from John Carroll University.

Erin Rust

Associate Vice President, Specialist, Native American Art

[email protected]513.666.4947

Erin Rust is a specialist in the Native American, Prehistoric & Tribal Art department at Hindman.
Ms. Rust began as a specialist in Native American Art and Artifacts at Cowan’s Auctions in 2017, with a focus on Native jewelry and Midwestern prehistoric artifacts. She has also worked on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana and on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Ms. Rust holds a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in History, concentrating in Native Studies, from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Rust also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Native American Art: The Lifetime Collection of Forrest Fenn, Part I

Sioux Quilled Hair Drop, with Cross of Lorraine

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