Human and animal skulls placed on the ground as offerings by the Mandan Indians of North America. Coloured aquatint by S. Himely after Ch. Bodmer, ca. 1843.

  • Bodmer, Karl, 1809-1893.
Date:
[1843?]
Reference:
579265i
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Description

"The Mandans have many other medicine establishments in the vicinity of their villages, all of which are dedicated to the superior powers. Mr. Bodmer has made very accurate drawings of those near Mih-Tutta-Hang-Kush, one of which consists of four poles placed in the form of a square ; the two foremost have a heap of earth and green turf thrown up round them, and four buffalo skulls laid in a line between them, while twenty-six human skulls are placed in a row from one of the stakes at the back to the other ; some of these skulls are painted with a red stripe. Behind the whole a couple of knives are stuck into the ground, and a bundle of twigs is fastened at the top of the poles with a kind of comb, or the teeth of a rake, painted red (Vignette XIV). The Indians repair to such places when they desire to make offerings or put up petitions; they howl, lament, and make loud entreaties, often for many days together, to the lord of life, which the French Canadians call weeping, though no tears are shed."—Wied, Travels in the interior of North America, loc. cit.

Publication/Creation

Coblenz : Bei J. Hölscher ; London (96 Strand) : Ackermann & Co. ; Paris : Arthus Bertrand éditeur, [1843?] ([Paris?] Imp. de Bougeard)

Physical description

1 print : aquatint, with watercolour ; platemark 24.5 x 32.1 cm

Lettering

Opfer der Mandan Indianer. Offering of the Mandan Indians. Offrandes des Indiens Mandans. Dessiné d'après nature par Ch. Bodmer ; gravé par Himely Bears number: Vig. XIV

References note

Maximilian, Prince of Wied, Travels in the interior of North America … to accompany the original series of eighty-one elaborately coloured plates, trans. from the German, by H. Evans Lloyd, London: Ackermann and Co., 1843-1844, , p. 381
Not found in: Jean Adhémar, Jacques Lethève and Françoise Gardey, Inventaire du fonds français après 1800, Bibliothèque nationale, Département des estampes, tome X, Paris, 1958, pp. 405-410 (inventory of prints by Sigismond Himely)

Reference

Wellcome Collection 579265i

Type/Technique

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