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Ceremonial Shield
(#FCSHIE418)
Southern plains, Kiowa
1860
This shield is 18 Inches in diameter. We often think of shields as
bearing heraldic symbols of brave and ferocious
animals, such as grizzly bears and buffalo bulls, although as often as
not the magical paintings portray the sky and
the weather. This shield is a depiction of a sky scape with sun, moon,
and stars. To the left, rain pours from the center
disk, while to the right, a lightning bolt reaches out and forks to the
rim of the shield, which represents the horizon of
the earth. A personal medicine charm hangs in the center. This piece
actually is a cover that cannot be removed to
unveil the shield itself.
Illustrated in
Spirits in the Art, by James A.
Hanson pg. 20.
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