"Tah-Ro-Hon, An Ioway Warrior" by Charles Bird King

"Tah-Ro-Hon, An Ioway Warrior" by Charles Bird King

C.1865-1870

Hand-Painted Lithograph

Dating between 1865 and 1870, this authentic Rice, Rutter & Co. nineteenth-century colored lithograph titled "Tah-Ro-Hon, An Ioway Warrior" exhibits the striking martial regalia of a distinguished veteran. The half-length portrait captures Tah-Ro-Hon in three-quarter view, gazing directly outward with a stern expression and subtle red ceremonial paint tracing his jawline and brow. His head is crowned by an exceptional, vibrant red deer-tail roach crest, secured at the forehead by a finely patterned, yellow-and-red striped textile band. Multiple strings of white and red beads loop through his pierced ears, complementing a multi-tiered beaded necklace worn over a light pink, dotted calico trade shirt. A large silver peace medal displaying a classical profile silhouette hangs from a bright blue ribbon at his chest, while a heavy red blanket drape cascades across his left shoulder. Resting diagonally behind him is a decorated wooden lance or coup stick adorned with matching red feathers, all set against a clean backdrop above crisp printed typography reading "Tah-Ro-Hon, An Ioway Warrior."

This composition belongs to a broader American historical record dating back to the federal treaty eras of the 1820s and 1830s, where Indigenous leaders and tribal delegates were visually documented during diplomatic missions to Washington, D.C.. Published in 1986 as part of a modern commemorative edition of the landmark book History of the Indian Tribes of North America by Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall, prints like this hold monumental historical importance because they serve as the primary surviving visual record of these pre-Civil War individuals. The original oil portrait archives, including those by Charles Bird King and the Western galleries of John Mix Stanley, were tragically destroyed in the catastrophic 1865 Smithsonian fire. As a result, these meticulously prepared volume reproductions stand as irreplaceable ethnographic artifacts, documenting traditional attire, customs, and political figures from a critical era of Native American history.

Dimensions: H 11”x 8 ½”W

Condition: In very good condition