Native American Saddlery and Trappings

Book excerpt: Illustrating the diversity and beauty of Native American horse tack and gear, Jaye Oliver traces their evolution from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. Drawing upon objects from North American museum and historical society collections, Oliver’s lush, full-color paintings sample equine finery of the various tribes of the North American Southwest, Plateau, and Great Plains. Including a historical narrative and illustrated glossary, as well as curatorial descriptions of each object portrayed, this work is as instructive as it is breathtaking. Including pictorial instructions for assembling the tack and gear, this work is for students, collectors, and aficionados of all ages, offering an unprecedented survey of the following collections: Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming; Denver Art Museum; Glenbow Museum, Alberta, Canada; Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University; Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of New Mexico; Montana Historical Society; Minnesota Historical Society; State Historical Society of North Dakota; Nez Percé National Historical Park, National Park Service; National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution; National Museum of Natural History/Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution; Portland Art Museum, Oregon; School of American Research, Santa Fe.