Manabosho's Devices 1849 - 1855

drawing

pastel soft colours

ink paper printed

retro 'vintage design

culinary art

pattern background

linocut print

fabric design

united-states

textile design

layered pattern

bridal fashion

"Manabosho's Devices" is a watercolor on paper by Seth Eastman, a military officer and artist known for his depictions of Native American life. Created between 1849 and 1855, the artwork portrays a collection of pictographs, a system of visual communication used by Indigenous peoples. The composition features various symbols representing animals, humans, objects, and actions, offering insights into the cultural and spiritual beliefs of the Dakota people. This piece is part of the collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and exemplifies Eastman's dedication to documenting the rich cultural heritage of Native Americans.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Henry Rowe Schoolcraft reportedly collected these pictographs, which he named for the mythic Ojibwe character Manabosho, around Lake Superior. Although it is unclear how accurately the pictographs were transcribed, they were intended to describe a story, chant, or historical event. Seth Eastman painted four sheets of pictographs as the basis for the illustrations in Schoolcraft's "Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States" (1851-57), and these original watercolors are among the 35 works on paper by Eastman in Mia’s collection.