American Indian Art and Iconography
February 5–May 9, 2010
Teaching Gallery
Teaching Gallery
American Indian Art and Iconography brings together over twenty-five art objects and artifacts made by the indigenous peoples of North America. This Teaching Gallery exhibition, drawn from the Museum's permanent collection, explores the ways in which the imagery on the pottery, baskets, stone and metal work, and copper plaques conveys sacred meaning, tells a story, or communicates beliefs while also providing insight into the daily life and rituals of each culture represented. The exhibition is divided into sections based on the strata of the cosmos that the iconography represents—the Upper World, Middle World, or Lower World.
This Teaching Gallery exhibition is presented in conjunction with the course “American Indian Art and Iconography” offered by the Department of Anthropology and University College in spring 2010, and organized collaboratively by Carol Diaz-Granados, research associate in the department of anthropology; James R. Duncan, former director of the Missouri State Museum; and Carol Epstein, member of the National Council of Arts and Sciences.
Selected works
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Dance Headdress (Roach)
c. 1900–20
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Headdress
c.1890
Unknown (Native North American, Mississippian, Dunklin County, Missouri, Woodlands, Missouri, United States)
Repoussé Plaque
c. 1200–1400
Unknown (Native North American, Mississippian, Dunklin County, Missouri, Woodlands, Missouri, United States)
Repoussé Plaque
c. 1200–1400
Unknown (Native North American, Mississippian, Dunklin County, Missouri, Woodlands, Missouri, United States)
Repoussé Plaque
c. 1200–1400
Unknown (North American Indian, Anasazi)
Mesa Verde Mug
c. 1100–1200
Unknown (North American Indian, Zuni)
Dish
n.d.
Unknown (North American Indian, Cheyenne, Southern Plains)
Woman's Boot (left)
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Cheyenne, Southern Plains)
Woman's Boot (right)
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Northern Plains Indian)
Head Ornament
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Inuit, Alaska)
Pipe
c. 1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Inuit, Alaska)
Pipe
c. 1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Beaded Cradleboard
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Umbilical Fetish
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Parfleche (Rawhide Container)
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Child's Moccasins
c. 1880–1900
Unknown (North American Indian, Zuni)
Fern Maiden Dish
n.d.
Unknown (North American Indian, Modoc)
Bow and Three Arrows
n.d.
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Felicia—Isleta
1925
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Blanket Strip
c. 1880
Unknown (North American Indian, Western Apache, Arizona)
Storage Basket
c. 1890–1910
Unknown (North American Indian, Umatilla)
Dance Rattle
n.d.
Unknown (North American Indian, Sioux, Northern Plains)
Saddle Blanket
n.d.
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Sun Dance Pledgers—Cheyenne
1911
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Half-shorn—Nez Perce
1910
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Tsetsanu—Tewa
1921
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Navel-amulets—Piegan
1911
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Parfleches—Atsina
1908
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Apache Still Life
1903
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Modern Designs in Washo Basketry, plate 542 from The North American Indian
1924
Edward Sheriff Curtis
Seeing High—Oto
1927Teaching Gallery
The Teaching Gallery is a space in the Kemper Art Museum dedicated to presenting works from the Museum's collection with direct connections to Washington University courses. Teaching Gallery installations are intended to serve as parallel classrooms and can be used to supplement courses through object-based inquiry, research, and learning. Learn more