Eagle tail feather loose fan / Nelson Eddie Big Bow

Essay/Description

A trimmed eagle tail loose fan with a shotgun rod screw handle beaded in gourd stitch. The tops of the feathers are decorated with tuffs of white fur and dyed hackle feather tips in yellow, green, red, and white. Hackles also placed at the base of the eagle feathers in red, white, and black. White shoe polished buckskin extensions connect the feathers and the handle. The beadwork mixes cut and seed beads in white, navy, orange, green, red, pink, and yellow on a blue background. 12 2-ply twisted buckskin fringes attach at the base of the handle. One has a tiny chrome cowbell attached.

Curatorial Remarks

Loose peyote eagle tail feather fan. The bell charm is attached to the end of a piece of leather fringe. Small multi-colored feathers are attached to the tips of the eagle feathers. 1940-1950. This fan is part of the Harding Big Bow collection.

Tags: bell charm, peyote fan, Native American Church, loose feathers, eagle feathers, beaded handle
People: Nelson Big Bow, Kiowa
Places: Oklahoma
Purpose: peyote meeting,

From interviews with Dr. Garrick Bailey, 2018-2020 University of Tulsa, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology

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Anthropology Item Information

©Gilcrease Museum

Title(s):

Eagle tail feather loose fan

Creator(s):

Nelson Eddie Big Bow (Artist)

Harding Big Bow (Used by)

Culture:

Native American; Kiowa

Date:

1940 - 1950

Place:

Oklahoma

Materials/Techniques:

feathers (eagle), glass, cotton, hide, wood, fur, metal

Classification:

Ethnographic Objects

Object Type:

Fan

Credit Line:

Gift of Pearl Big Bow

Accession No:

84.2896

Previous Number(s):

TL1997.73.2

Department:

Anthropology

Not On View

Dimensions

Overall:

Length: 27in. (68.6cm)
Width: 19in. (48.3cm)

About the Creator(s)

From Gilcrease Museum:

Creator:

Nelson Big Bow

Biography:

Nelson Big Bow is Harding Big Bow's son.

Role(s):

Artist

From Gilcrease Museum:

Creator:

Harding Big Bow

Biography:

Mr. Big Bow was a roadman and organizational leader in the Native American Church, having served as the President of the Native American Church of Oklahoma. He was also an easel painter in the Kiowa style. He was the co-organizer of the exhibition project that became "Symbols of Faith and Belief: The Art of the Native American Church" alongside Gilcrease Senior Curator at the time Daniel Swan. After his death, his wife Pearl Big Bow gave his NAC equipment and other objects to Gilcrease Museum. Mr. Big Bow's life work, and art are described in various publications, especially Dan Swan's (1999) "Peyote religious Art", Jackson: University of Mississippi; (1990) Southern Plains Indian Museum and Crafts Center: Symbolic Paintings by Harding Big Bow, Anadarko.

Role(s):

Used by

From Getty's Union List of Artist Names:

Names (all):

Big Bow, Harding

Birth Date:

1921

Death Date:

1997

Nationalities:

Native American

Roles:

Kiowa painter and flute maker, 1921-1997

Gender:

male

Cite this Page

Big Bow, Nelson. Eagle tail feather loose fan. 84.2896. 1940 - 1950. Tulsa: Gilcrease Museum, https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/842896 (10/31/2018).

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Gilcrease Museum

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Eagle tail feather loose fan / Nelson Eddie Big Bow

Essay/Description

Curatorial Remarks

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Fan with beaded handle and feather quills wrapped in hide

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Anthropology Item Information

Dimensions

About the Creator(s)

Tags and Search Terms

Cite this Page