Artwork Details
A) tunic: L40 in. (back neck to hem) B) hat: H5-1/2 in. C) staff: L17 in. (without strap)
Accession NumberEmma Harter Sweetser Fund, Caroline Marmon Fesler Fund
CopyrightPrivate Collection, England, before 1965. Private Collection, New York, by 1980; (Young Robertson Gallery, New York); purchased by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2012.
Known as “great war shirts,” these types of tunics are laden with a number of amulets believed to contain protective powers. Men with dangerous professions, such as hunters, warriors, and soldiers, often wore garments that were either painted with protective verses or adorned with objects thought to have magical properties.
The hand-woven fabric of this tunic was dyed maroon, and numerous leather amulets containing magical substances were attached to the garment to keep the warrior safe.
Exhibition Name
Venue
Dates
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.