Sih-Chida and Mahchsi-Karehde, Mandan Indians
Engraved by Hurlimann Printed by Bougeard (unavailable - please enquire)
Tableau 20. Sih-Chida and Mahchsi-Karehde, Mandan Indians
$4,500.00

Bodmer painted the two portraits featured in this print at Fort Clark in December, 1833. The print itself represents the only instance in this series when the engraver neglected to reverse the images on the plate to correspond to the positioning of the figures in Bodmer's original
watercolors.

At left stands Sih-Chida, or "Yellow Feather," a chief's son, who wears beaded hairbows embellished with long strings of dentalium shells and beads. The cluster of feathers at the back of his head suggests that he was probably a member of the Mandan Dog Society. His buffalo-hide robe, worn with the fur side turned in, is handsomely decorated with large quilled rosettes. Draped around his neck is an otter fur fringed with quilled leather. His heel trailers, signifying battle exploits, also are of otter fur lined with red cloth.

Mahchsi-Karehde, or "Flying War Eagle," is pictured at right. A member of the Soldier Society, which regulated all important tribal affairs, he stood just over six feet tall and was described by Prince Maximilian as "the tallest Mandan." Bodmer showed him attired in a painted robe, also decorated with quilled rosettes, and leggings and moccasins of a similar make or design. He too wears hairbows and large shell or metal disc earrings. The wolf tails attached to the heels of his moccasins represent success in war, as does the coup feather in his hair. The large eagle-wing fan and impressive bearclaw necklace indicate that he was a man of wealth and status among his people.

Sih-Chida reportedly was fascinated with Bodmer's ability as an artist and asked him for a copy of his portrait. He obtained another drawing by Maximilian and a gift of art supplies, with which he made pictures of Bodmer, Maximilian, himself, and his friends. Several of these are preserved today in the Maximilian-Bodmer collection at Joslyn.

Bodmer also painted a portrait of Mahchsi-Karehde's brother, Mandeh-Kachu, which was featured as Vignette XXIV in the atlas. Portraits of Mandan chief Mato-Tope are reproduced in Tableau 13
and 14.

Text by David Hunt, Director, Stark Museum, Orange, Texas, USA

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