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Apache War Shield |
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Apache War Shield This is a very rare and unusual portrayal of a Native American shield. The original resides in the Heard Museum located in Phoenix, Arizona. Most Apache regalia is very different from the more common Plains Indian regalia. Not usually as colorful, however, constructed in ways which make them even more ornate. This particular Apache shield is constructed in such a manner. It took Larry at least four times longer to construct and reproduce this shield than any of the Plains shields he reproduced. The shield has always been a revered piece of armament used by all Indian Nations. As in virtually all shields, the main body of the shield is made from the back hump of the buffalo. This part of the buffalo hide is the thickest. The front of the shield has four large diamond shapes which are hand painted from indigenous roots, bark, berries and leaves. These diamond shapes depict the four directions used on many Native American types of armament. It is believed to be that the utilization of the four directions was to keep the warriors on the right track or path towards their destination, along with their return once the task has been completed. Apache' were famous for using what is called the "scallop" design on their regalia. The scallop is a zig-zag cut or a continuous half circle cut on the leather usually down the sides of the leather or across such as a head band or the bottom of a shirt or a dress. There are 6 leather drops 14 to 18 inches in length which adorns the scallop cuts previously mentioned. These drops are attached to the sides of the shield. Three on each side which are staggered. Each drop has five groupings of tin cones roughly four inches apart attached to the front of the drops with leather thongs. These tin cones are also adorned to the front of the shield along with bamboo pieces about four inches long. The most tedious part of constructing this shield was what Larry did to the front of the shield. He had to burn roughly 300 holes through the buffalo rawhide in order to weave a leather thong down the middle of the shield, along with three rows of leather thongs across the shield within the length and width of the four painted diamond shapes. Attached to the bottom of the shield you see a half moon shape piece of buffalo rawhide with three painted diamond shapes. Over 100 tin cones are draped off the bottom of this piece of rawhide by leather thongs. Once again, holes were burnt into the rawhide in order to attach these tin cones. This truly is a magnificent Apache shield and is believed to be the most ornate of it's kind in any Southwest Museum. I have seen postcards and pictures of this exact shield for sale during my travels. No other reproduction of this shield has ever been attempted. |
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Description: Apache War Shield |
