The lot features a Sioux polychrome painted and beaded Ghost Dance Buffalo Wearing Robe collected from the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation and ex-Ben Thompson collection. The piece exhibits an Indian brain-tanned Great American Bison Buffalo hide with hide on the back, covered with old polychrome powder paints showing symbols associated with the Ghost Dance Movement of 1890 and Ghost Dance Revivals. These type of painted buffalo hide robes were commonly wrapped around the shoulders of an elder or chief for warmth with the fur side on the inside and painted side facing out to show the owner’s exploits or dreams. Due to the medium size this possibly could have been owned by a smaller elder or female. The painted symbols show various Ghost Dance designs such as the four-point morning stars, a large water bird, a tipi (tepee / teepee / lodge), turtle, sun burst and visionary symbols. The painted blue “tadpole” like symbols are said to have been bullets fired at the wearer which will not penetrate the hide. The center shows a 19th-century Indian hide beaded blanket strip in classic Sioux form sewn with sinew showing old cen glass seed trade beads with cross and tipi designs using colors of red white hearts, cobalt, greasy yellow, greasy white and cobalt white and greasy medium green. Said to be secured with old tree sap and hide glue and is bordered with yellow pigment painted crosses. The hide painting shows a brown / red background coloring with designs in red, blue, and yellow. The hide is well kept with some paint loss and mostly supple soft hides. Provenance: From the ex-collections of a Sioux Hunkpapa Family from Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in North Dakota, ex-collection of Ben Thompson of Missouri and a Southern California collection. Overall measures 65-inches long by 68-inches wide.