Heading: (Native American Ledger Book)
Author:
Title: Kiowa Ledger Book with original watercolor drawings, from Indian Territory
Place Published: Shawneee, Oklahoma Territory
Publisher:
Date Published: Late 19th century
Description:

33 leaves, with watercolor and gouache paintings on one or both sides - on the front endpapers is a watercolor map of Oklahoma Territory and a montage of clippings from advertisements relating to Shawnee and Tecumseh. 10.5x14.5 cm. (4¼x5¾"), polished wood front cover with color pictorial celluloid onlay, cloth spine and rear cover.

Rare original Native American drawing bookgenerically refered to as a ledger book on occasion, from the Kiowa tribe, in Oklahoma Territory at the end of the 19th century. The book itself was a commercially available autograph or sketch book used by the artist. The contents comprise some 56 watercolor and gouache paintings, as well as a few penciled words in English on various pages (A Drawing Book; Kiowa; Oklahoma; Shawnee, O.T,; and Peyote). A number of the paintings relate to Peyotism and the Peyote Ceremony, including: a peyote cactus "button"; a ceremonial peyote feather fan and gourde rattle; a medicine man; a peyote bird; and peyote lodge teepees. Peyote was introduced in the early 1880s to the Kiowas of Oklahoma, and this seems one of the earliest know examples of a Kiowa ledger book referring to their practice of Peyotism. Among the other highlights of the ledger book are five portraits of Native Americans; nine paintings of animals including horses, buffalo and birds; moccasins; garments, U.S. Army wagons; American flags; shields, peace pipes; a war bonnet, crescent moons and stars; etc. A rare and significant Naive American ledger book, produced at a time of transition for American Indians and for the American nation as a whole. Provenance: Purchased by the present owner from a collector of Native Americana, who acquired it in the 1960s from a Montana collection where it had resided since the 1930s.

Very good or better condition. 1/28/2015 DESCRIPTION REVISED.