Blackfoot, Plains Indians - Lot 1

Blackfoot, Plains Indians USA/ Canada War headdress Eagle feathers, leather, felt and fabric, beaded band, ermines 1870s CITES certificate n°FR2407505635-K Provenance : - Robert Duperrier Collection, Paris - André Schoeller Collection, Paris - Collection Yves Berger, Paris - Sale North American Indian Art, Collection Yves Berger, Million & Associés, April 15, 2002, Drouot, Paris, n°26 and catalog cover - Private collection, acquired above Publication: - Coiffure Pied-Noir, 1870", Round Up n°5, Autumn 1976, D. Dubois - Les Indiens de Plaines, Editions du Rocher / Nuage Rouge, D. Dubois & Y. Berger, 2001, page 157 This type of eagle feather headdress was the most important and imposing symbol of prestige for Plains warriors. According to the Blackfoot, the eagle is the symbol of sacred warrior power. Moreover, as Michel Petit recalls in "Mémoires Indiennes" (Musée Champollion, Figeac, June 2011), the eagle is considered "master of the sky and birds", and its feathers are symbols of bravery and wisdom. Down, undulating with the slightest breath of air, was seen as a means of communication with the spirit world. This superb old war bonnet is made from an assembly of some thirty plumes of thirty or so eagle feathers attached to a felt bonnet using pieces of red fabric from American trading posts. The large feathers making up the cap itself belong to the Aquila chrysaetos species, the golden eagle. A beaded band featuring blue triangular motifs reminiscent of teepees extends across the forehead. ermine pendants complete the headdress's ornamentation. headdress. Use and function: The making of a headdress gave rise to numerous ceremonies and songs celebrating the valor of the warrior for whom the headdress was intended. During the making of the headdress, each time a feather was added, one of the warrior's feats of arms was commemorated. warrior. As such, once the headdress was finished, it became a trophy recalling the warrior's many the many victories of the warrior and, more broadly, of the entire tribe. Within the tribe, only chiefs and a limited number of men were allowed to wear a war bonnet. Wearing the headdress was absolute proof of bravery in battle, and all members of the tribe owed respect to the wearer. In terms of provenance, this headdress has appeared in the collections of eminent experts and authors on Plains Indian art and culture, including Yves Berger. "For forty years, I went far beyond these cities (Paris, London, Montreal, Amsterdam, New York) and far back in time. For a blackfoot headdress, a buffalo-skin vest and a parakeet, I ran across the Great Plains two centuries ago, with Sioux and Comanches, and smoked, for a long time, in a tepee ( ) I plunged into the Mississippi Valley 1500 years earlier and, in 1838, I accompanied, in tears on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokees deported by Andrew Jackson." Yves Berger, preface to the sale catalog, April 15, 2002 This headdress was published in the book "Indians of the Plains" by Editions du Rocher and also appeared in an eponymous television program broadcast on TF1 on April 7 1976. This ancient war headdress is a rare and powerful testimony to a bygone and flamboyant age. flamboyant age in the Plains region of North America. Condition report: The feathers have suffered visible abrasions and losses, some missing are related to others probably due to former insect attacks. Fragility of some of the feather attachments (at least two of which need to be reattached September 2023). The pieces of red fabric surrounding the feather bases also show material loss and tears. The ermine pendants are deteriorated and dried out, and the red fabric covering part of them is also deteriorated or even missing. is also deteriorated or missing. The front of the felt hat (not visible) shows repairs with pieces of felt. repairs with pieces of brown felt. Some tears and missing pieces in the felt visible between the feathers. The beaded headband is in generally good condition, with a few rows of beads at the ends. are very slightly distended. Condition consistent with use and age.