L E I F B A K K A
American Indian Leggings in Art
The best source in for studying 19th century leggings are Karl Bodmer and George Catlins paintings. Karl Bodmers watercolours are very detailed and give a good view of how leggings looked like in the 1830s. Addih-Hiddish (he who makes the path) Minnetaree chief wears a pair of leggings that is stained black or dark brown. The beaded or quilled panels are blue and white. Most leggings from this period were decorated with quillwork. However blue, white and black pony beads were also used. The coup marking are small lines and circles in white. The top of the leggings is clearly visible. The excess hide is tucked in a thin leather belt and is loosely hanging down from it. Addih-Hiddish is wearing trailers that cover the bottom of the leggings. The fringes are dyed hair either human or horse. The hair was sometimes taken from an enemy or family member of the wearer. If it was horse or buffalo hair, it was probably taken from an animal with special qualities. The leggings are slightly asymmetrical. The leggings are telling a story and displaying his exploits. I think that the story overrides the need for symmetry. The asymmetry gives the leggings an extra dimension.
The leggings on Mato-Tope (the four bears) second chief of the Mandan’s are also asymmetrical. The buckskins are dyed red. The left leg has thin coup stripes. The quillwork strips are yellow, red and blue. Yellow and blue colored hair is attached to the sides of the leggings. The bottom tabs are tide up around the ankles.
George Catlin’s paintings are less detailed than Bodmers paintings. Most of Catlins work was done in oil paint. He sometimes painted fast almost impressionistic style. However there is a lot to learn from his images. Catlin also painted Mato-Tope (the four bears). The leggings depicted on him have quilled strips and hair fringes. The hair is colored green, red, black and yellow. The quillwork has triangular shapes in red and black on a white background. There are only 3 coup stripes under his knees on both legs.
The leggings that Ha-Na-Ta-Nu-Mauk (wolf chief) Mandan chief wears appears to be dyed black. The leggings have green hair fringes and quilled panels in black, red and white. Catlins painting of Two Crows a Crow/Apsaalooke man wears one red and one green legging. The leggings have two coup marks under the knees. The quilled strips are narrow compared to the crow’s beaded strips that would be fashionable some decades later.
Catlin and Bodmers paintings give us a unique view of Native American ceremonial regalia during the 1830s. Together with leggings in museum collections, Catlin and Bodmers paintings of them are valuable records of history.
