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hide, fragment
hide, fragment
hide, fragment
A fragment of hide, which might have been used as a tipi door. It is decorated with red, black and green geometrical motifs, which may represent a village. Northern Plains. Collected by G.C. Beltrami in Wisconsin in 1823. Beltrami's collection catalogue states that around 1856, Beltrami's nephew donated several objects to the Civic Library of Bergamo, which were later transferred to the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali, its current location.
The Sioux lived on the Northern Plains in the mid-19th century.
The Beltrami Collection catalogue.
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tanned animal hide; dye, red, black, and green
The hide has been painted on one side.
According to the Beltrami catalogue's author, Vigorelli, Vigorelli states in his catalogue on the Beltrami Collection: "le decorazioni ....sono state dipinte con pennelli di osso spugnoso, come dimostra la leggera abrasione da loro prodotta sulla superficie della pelle, secondo la tecnica tradizionale Sioux." (p.35) [".... The decorations were painted with brushes of spongy bone, as evidenced by slight abrasion produced on the surface of their skin, according to traditional Sioux techniques"]
Geometric motifs.
Vigorelli states in his catalogue on the Beltrami Collection:
"(Il manufatto) e' decotao con motivo....che rimandano presumibilmente all'idea di villaggio". [The decorative motifs presumably refer to the idea of village.]
This object could have been part of a tipi door.
Provenance
Collected by G.C. Beltrami from Wisconsin in 1823. Beltrami's collection catalogue states that around 1856, Beltrami's nephew donated several objects to the Civic Library of Bergamo, which were later transferred to the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali.
The Beltrami Collection was exhibited in Florence in 1929 during the "Prima Esposizione Nazionale di Storia delle Scienze" (First National Exposition of History of Sciences"). In 1973, during a celebration of the Beltrami exhibit, Glauco Luchetti donated three objects from his own collection, which were located in Beltrami's last house in Filottrano, to the "Museo Civico E. Caffi". In 1987 the collection was used in the exhibit entitled "Missisippi 1823. Oggetti indiani raccolti da G. Costantino Beltrami" in the Galleria Lorenzelli in Bergamo.
Beltrami s catalogue. Vigorelli, Gli Oggetti indiani raccolti da G.Costantino Beltrami (p.35).
Leonardo Vigorelli, Gli Oggetti indiani raccolti da G.Costantino Beltrami, Civico Museo E. Caffi, Bergamo, 1987
About This GRASAC Record
This record was created by Emanuela Rossi after a trip, funded by GRASAC, to the Museo Civico E. Caffi in Bergamo, Italy in October 2008.
Researchers present: Emaunela Rossi
43.6, -71.9
In the Beltrami Collection catalogue, the author, Leonardo Vigorelli, defines "Upper Mississippi" as the Cultural Area of Origin. He defines "Northern Plains" as the Geographic Area.