This is a fantastic rare and important circa 1890 polychrome painted Ghost Dance shield and cover attributed to the Kiowa Native American Indians of Southwestern Oklahoma. Any piece of Ghost Dance relics attributed to the Kiowa are scarce, with only one other shield known and only two surviving shirts. The Kiowa were quick to embrace the Ghost Dance movement as forced life on the Oklahoma Reservations by 1890 had become unbearable. The shield was first collected by Dr. Charles Fahrenbach and remained in his Oklahoma City collection until his passing in 1980. The Fahrenbach family donated his entire collection of Southern Plains materials to the Dakota Frontier Museum in 1981. The Dakota Frontier Museum in Mitchell, South Dakota closed in the 1990’s and the shield was purchased by Jim Aplan of Piedmont, South Dakota and later sold to Mary Lou and Pierre DuPont in the 1990’s. Truly a rare example that is comprised of parfleche Buffalo Bison hide that was wetted and stretched over a hoop frame. The outer cover is made of brain-tanned Buffalo Bison hide and is secured over the parfleche disk and hoop with Buffalo Bison hide lacing and old tree sap. The original shoulder strap is still intact. The front of the shield has old, faded paint with classic Ghost Dance symbols including waterbirds in flight, half-moon and four-point morning stars. As with all Kiowa shields, this example is covered in yellow mineral pigment ocher paint, with multi-colored symbols painted on top of the yellow background. The pigment has faded in places and continues to flak of with age. Provenance: From the ex-Dr. Charles Fahrenbach, Dakota Fronter Museum, Jim Aplan, and DuPont family collection. Shield measures 19 inches across.