Description
The stories of these terrible men traveled rapidly along the Native American trade routes and it wasn’t long before war broke out between the two groups.
Some of these battles took place as far as the Southern border of Lakota territory which is the modern day state of Kansas. Records of these battles were often recorded on relics collected from the enemy.
On this exquisite work of Native American art, Lakota Sioux artist Jim Little Wounded depicts just such an encounter. On one side of the helmet, a warrior is shown overpowering one of the Conquistadors in hand-to-hand combat. The other side depicts the many enemies the warrior has killed and the many horses he has taken from the, would be, conquerors.
The back of the helmet is decorated in a Northern Plains style using imitation Redtail Hawk feathers, a silver concho, and a band of porcupine quillwork. The inside of the helmet has been lined with buffalo leather for added comfort.
It is quite possible that a helmet such as this would have been handed down through a family - imagine generations of warriors sitting around a fire listening in awe to the tales of bravery of their Grandfathers as the light flickers across such a helmet.
