Book of Drawings c. 1870 - 1890
attributedtoohettoint
minneapolisinstituteofart
drawing, graphite, colored-pencil
drawing
natural stone pattern
naturalistic pattern
book
geometric pattern
abstract pattern
organic pattern
wooden texture
united-states
graphite
pattern repetition
natural texture
layered pattern
organic texture
colored-pencil
This book of drawings, created by Ohet-toint in the late 19th century, features a marbled cover. The marbling technique involves swirling inks on the surface of a liquid, creating a unique and visually complex pattern. The cover displays a repeated pattern of crescent-shaped swirls in shades of red, blue, and yellow, suggesting a sense of intricate detail and traditional artistry. The book of drawings, currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, offers a glimpse into the artistic practices of its time, showcasing the beauty of marbling as a decorative art.
Comments
An art form thousands of years old, Plains Indian drawings appear on rocks, hides, cloth, and paper. Their varied subjects include great accomplishments of individuals, important historical events, and ceremonial and daily life. Ohettoint (Charles O. Buffalo) produced this sketchbook while a prisoner of war at Fort Marion, in St. Augustine, Florida, in the 1870s. His drawings express Kiowa perspectives and aesthetic sensibilities. And they served as a form of resistance to cultural suppression and forced assimilation at the hands of the U.S. government, military, and others. Once a powerful force in the Southern Plains region of North America, the Kiowa were respected as fierce warriors and highly skilled horse riders. This two-page drawing shows the centrality of the horse in Kiowa culture, presenting parading warriors and women on horseback along with details of traditional dress and regalia. From a wider perspective, Ohettoint’s pictographic representations of Kiowa tribal history reveal the changes that resulted from encounters with Euro-American culture.
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