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Medicine Shields of the Blackfoot
$750.00

125 in stock

125 in stock

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Delivery Lead Time: 3-4 Weeks

Description

Among the Blackfoot people the shield was the most cherished and protected possession. Above all, it was a medicine object. Medicine shields have dream or vision origins. Making a shield could be a lengthy process involving several people, but it had to start with the hide taken from the neck and shoulder of a bull buffalo. Once the hair was removed, this thick hide was then placed over a fire pit filled with hot stones and staked to the ground. The heat of the stones would gradually shrink the hide until it was about one inch thick. It was then painted and decorated to conform with the owner’s dream. When the shield was not carried by the owner on a war party, it was supported on a tripod outside the tepee on sunny days and as the sun moved, the tripod was turned so that the face of the shield would always be in direct sunlight.

Additional Information
Weight 80 oz
Dimensions 40 × 5 × 5 in
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Limited Edition of

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