shield, possibly Crow or Comanche, is crafted of thick hide and painted in blue-green, red, and yellow; with imagery of bear paws, diameter 22 inches

cover, Apache, made of softly tanned hide and with drawstring backing, is heavily decorated with images of tipis, American eagles, owls, a steer beneath a tree, and dogs in play; fringed triangular drop near upper edge, diameter 22-1/2 inches

Having an untold yet storied history, this shield and cover set was sold at Butterfields on October 31, 2000, as lot 4145. According to the auction description, the set came from an “Old Florida Family Collection.” Unknown to the owners at the time, the Apache cover contained a shield that was tribally non-matching. The shield was possibly a war trophy, but more likely it was captured indirectly, taken in battle from another tribe, then passed into Apache hands.