"Tuko-See-Mathla, A Seminole Chief" by Charles Bird King

"Tuko-See-Mathla, A Seminole Chief" by Charles Bird King

C.1865-1870

Hand-Painted Lithograph

An authentic nineteenth-century Rice, Rutter & Co. production dating between 1865 and 1870, this colored lithograph titled "Tuko-See-Mathla, A Seminole Chief" presents a full-length portrait of a prominent Southeastern leader in motion. The composition depicts Tuko-See-Mathla walking slightly to the right while cradling a long flintlock rifle in both hands. He is dressed in an ornate, blue and white vertically striped tunic featuring puffy shoulders and a fringed hem, layered over highly decorative, studded red leather leggings. A wide, vibrant red sash wraps around his neck and cascades down his torso, harmonizing with a dark pouch adorned with long, metallic tassels hanging from his waist belt. His head is bound in a matching red textile turban secured with a silver metallic band and accented by two dark, sweeping feathers. At his neck, a crescent-shaped silver gorget and a large circular peace medal rest prominently against his chest, completing a highly detailed ethnographic depiction framed above clean uppercase title typography.

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