Lot 247

Ghost Dance Polychrome Painted Dance Shirt

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
The lot features a polychrome painted muslin dance shirt attributed to the Ghost Dance Movement. The shirt is constructed of muslin trade fabric with a hand-cut fringe border and amazing polychrome painted design across the front done in mineral pigment dye paints in red, yellow, green, blue and black / brown. The shirt is from the same collection as the Ghost Dance Shirt sold by our company in June 2021, as well as in the same material and manufacture as that shirt, the Ghost Dance Shirt from Cowan’s 2018 and the Ghost Dance Shirt from High Noon Western Americana (and later sold by our company). The shirt shows a large waterbird flying up towards the sky with wings spread with crescent moon above, both well documented Ghost Dance symbols (as seen on the Cheyenne Ghost Dance Shield from Yankton Museum and the Ghost Dance Shirt from Allard’s 2003). The top edge of the shirt shows a red stroud trade clothe edge around the neck and the seems of the arms, down the sides and across the bottom edge are all hand cut clothe fringes. It is said that Ghost Dance shirts were required to be made from Muslin material but some other examples that have been authenticated do exist. Authentic Ghost Dance polychrome painted shirts are immensely rare, with many examples being attributed to the Sioux Native American Indians, likely the origins of this piece as well. Some of the notable shirts of the same age and Ghost Dance origin as this piece include the example sold at Cowan’s April 2018 sale for $22,000, the shirt from Allard’s March 2003 sale for $7,500, Ghost Dance Shirt sold by our company, NAAC, in our September 2020 sale for $5,250 (original from High Noon Western Americana in 2013), and this example. Provenance: From the ex-collection of Fred Cushman an avid collector and doctor from Twin Falls, Idaho. Measures overall 62”W by 38”L (25”W from shoulder to shoulder seem).
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