Context (Related Documents)
Catalogue card for Z 19214.A-B: '?North Plains Indians'

Event Date
Author: Kirsty Kernohan

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Description (Labels & Markings)
Small light brown card label with stamped number '118089'. This is a Wellcome Musuem accession number. See similar label on 1953.482.

Label annotated in blue pencil with 'AA' and in pencil 'Fancy Dress'. This appears to be the same handwriting as on the sale history label of the leggings, Z 19214 B.

Label annotated on the reverse in blue pencil 'COS/ NP IND [possible Costume North/Northern Plains Indian]'.
Event Date
Author: Rachel Hand

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Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for Z 19214.A-B: 'Two shirts, quite similar of buckskin hide. a) shirts decorated with blue and white sequins, with various anthropomorphic figures and heads on one shirt. b) buckskin leggings.'
Event Date
Author: Rachel Hand

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Description (Physical description)
Shirt with fringes at the arms and the sides. The shirt is painted in black with anthropomorphic designs at the front and the back. There are some red, white, blue beads at the back. The front has a disk motif with white and blue beads. The sleeves have painted red and black stripes. There are also ribbons hanging from the shirt.

Event Date 14/9/2005
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Analysis)
Martin Schultz noted that is a shirt from the collection of George Catlin. Catlin had to sell his collection of objects and images to a collector in North America in the 1850s due to financial problems. He afterwards "rebuilt" his collections. The paintings and objects of this second collection were spread throughout Europe, possibly mostly England. The big difference between the objects of the first and second collection is, that the objects of the first phase (now in the National Museum of Natural History) have quillwork, while those of the second phase have beadwork only. That would make your shirt a post-1850 one, but it still pre-dates 1871, when Catlin went back to the US (where he died in 1872).
Event Date 6/10/2009
Author: Rachel Hand

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Context (Analysis)
During a visit with the Woodlands GRASAC project, Ruth Phillips suggested that these shirts are likely to be from the Amerian Plains groups.
Event Date 28/4/2009
Author: Rachel Hand

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Context (Analysis)
Martin Shultz noted this shirt features human heads not attached to a body that I would like to show as an example of George Catlin´s depiction of Plains Indian war honour paintings and in comparison to another shirt of the same type at the Deutsches Ledermuseum.
From notes by M. Schultz, 12 April 2012. He is now Head of Ethnographic Collections at Mannheim Museum, Germany
Event Date 19/4/2013
Author: Rachel Hand

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Research Visit (Anthropology)
RES.2018.2478 | Working on a project to enhance the Smithsonian's catalogue records of material associated with George Catlin and researching early Plains quill embroidery materials from before the mid-19th century, such as plant fibre or bird quills.
Event Date 20/6/2018
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Amendments / updates)
The small brown paper label with stamped number and blue test originates in the Wellcome Museum, see 1949.454.

Transferred from the Wellcome Medical Museum, probably in 1953 due to a similar sale history label 1953.482, but certainly before 1963, based on the 1963 date in the register entry for Z 15418.


Event Date 18/7/2022
Author: Rachel Hand

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Context (Amendments / updates)
The buffalo head motif is also found on a Catlin shirt in the National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh M A.1963.56
Event Date 18/7/2022
Author: rachel hand

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Description (Physical description)
Hide shirt made of thick hide with sleeves sewn closed with cotton or wool thread, and the sides are also sewn closed with a hide thong. Two trapezoid fringed neck flap also sewn with white cotton thread. Decorated on the front with a central circular beaded disc in blue and white glass beads with a central red bead. A single line of blue and white glass runs in a line across the central chest area. The arm holes top of shoulder had three bands of beads i blue and white and red, sewn in pairs and groups of three. Blue and possibly purple, now faded. Long the upper arms is a band of loom-woven glass beads sewn with cotton thread and featuring designs of crosses and possibly a triangles. With three human hair tassels and others of horse hair.

Decorated on front and back with human figures in black and red, imitating Plains pictorial traditions. On the front is the head of buffalo, similar to those illustrated by Catlin in Letters and Notes.

Multiple repairs with hide additions around the neck and shoulder area indicating extended use and wear and tear.

No evidence of sinew sewing and decorated by a non-native, presumably Catlin.
From notes by Leonie Treier on a visiit 18/07/2022
Event Date 18/7/2022
Author: rachel hand

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Conservation (Freezing)
CON.2025.6135 | Freezing
Event Date 20/1/2025
Author: Kirsty Kernohan

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Context (Amendments / updates)
The Cultural Group field previously read '?Plains; ?Subarctic; ?Northwest Coast' based on a presumed association with Z 19214 A.1. However, this association is not clear and this field has now been updated to '?Plains'.
Event Date 30/1/2025
Author: Kirsty Kernohan

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Conservation (Repack)
CON.2015.1700 | Repack
Event Date 9/1/2025
Author: Kirsty Kernohan (Admin)

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Description (Physical description)
Man's hide shirt with painted warriors. Sleeves are sewn closed with cotton or wool thread and the sides are sewn closed with a hide thong; one trapezoid fringed neck flap on each side, which is dyed red; fringe down each arm and each side of the shirt. Painted warriors with weaponry on both sides in red and black; bison head in the centre on the front; sun motif on the front of each shoulder; red and black stripes down the arms. Decorated on the front with a central circular beaded disc in blue and white glass beads with a central red bead; single line of blue and white glass beads runs in a line across the central chest area; single line of red and white beads across the back; three bands of beads in blue and white and red around where each arm is attached; blue and purple ribbons attached to the top of each shoulder; along the upper arms is a band of loom-woven glass beads sewn with cotton thread and featuring designs of crosses and possibly a triangles; seven human hair tassels and others of horse hair attached to the back of the sleeves. Contemporary repairs on one shoulder.
Event Date 9/1/2025
Author: Nora J. Klages-Miller