Leader of the Mandan Buffalo Bull Society

Description

The complete buffalo head mask worn by this individual, whom Bodmer painted in early April of 1834, indicates that he is one of the leaders of the Buffalo Bull Society, an honor awarded only to the bravest of Mandan warriors. The curved, feathered wand and the lance are probably also society emblems while the wolf tails on his heels likely represent personal coups or battle feats. The decorations on his shield are symbols of personal medicine, or power. Posed quietly in this rendering, the same figure dances dramatically in the foreground of Tableau r8 of the aquatint atlas, a stunning recreation of a Buffalo Bull dance.