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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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Title(s): 
Eagle tail feather loose fan
Creator(s): 
Nelson Eddie Big Bow (Artist)
Harding Big Bow (Artist)
Culture: 
Native American; Kiowa
Date: 
1940 - 1950
Place: 
Oklahoma
Materials/Techniques: 
feathers (eagle), glass, cotton, hide, wood, fur, metal
Classification: 
Object Type: 
Credit Line: 
Gift of Pearl Big Bow
Accession No: 
84.2896
Previous Number(s): 
TL1997.73.2
Department: 
Not On View

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