This is an exceptional 19th-century Pueblo Buffalo rawhide war shield polychrome painted Buffalo / Bison horn and Avanyu figures, ex Salomon Rothschild sale and Christies. The shield, previously noted as being 19th-century Santo Domingo, is comprised of thick Great American Bison Buffalo rawhide with a convex (outward curved) round shape the shield is covered in mineral pigment polychrome paint showing colors of red, yellow and black. The shield shows a round outline with central yellow and black line having the Buffalo Horns pointing upwards with the central band in between the horns showing at least four round yellow spots and the outside edges flaring into an axe like shape. The bottom section of the shield shows a red background with black outline and the prominent Avanyu figure in yellow with a black outline and red tongue. The Avanyu, also referred to as the Awanyu is a water guardian deity which is identified by the horned or plumed serpent with curves suggesting flowing water or a zig-zag lightning bolt, some believe the Avanyu is related to the feathered serpent of Mesoamerica-Quetzalcoatl. First forms of the Avanyu were found in 1000 A.D. on Mimbres pottery and in Tewa and Tiwa peoples around 1350 A.D. There are several pierced holes which would have held a drop of feathers, which are long missing. The right side shows two older Indian repair of sinew and hide lacing. Provenance: Ex-collection from the Salomon De Rothschild, Paris Marc-Arthur Kohn sale in 2006 Longwy Meurthe-et-Moselle collection, previously from Christies New York in the late 1990’s early 2000’s; from a large private Native American Paris, France collection. For an example see the Pueblo Painted Buffalo Hide Shield with Avanyu figures from the William H. Saunders, M.D. and Putzi Saunders Ohio collection that sold at Cowans in 2018 for $39,360 (w/ bp) (also sold by Allard in 2010 for $34,800 (w/ bp) marked as Santo Domingo Avanyu early 1800’s), very rare to see the Avanyu figure and highly desired. A picture of the items listing in the Marc-Arthur Kohn sale is included. The shield shows wear indicative of its early Indian Wars era age with some lsight paint loss, but overall is truly a museum quality piece, and only one of three Avanyu Pueblo shields which have come to the public market. Measures overall 17.5-inches diameter.