McKenney and Hall, 1836-1844 - NE-SOU-A-QUOIT. A FOX CHIEF., from History of the Indian Tribes of North America - ca. 1837-1844 - T-Shirt

This hand-colored lithograph portrait shows Ne-Sou-A-Quoit, a Fox chief, framed in a formal bust-length composition that gives his presence full weight on the page.

Visual Elements & Composition

A vertical portrait rectangle holds the figure at the centre, and cream paper dominates the field, giving the image its aged, printed warmth. The chief's feathered headdress and eagle-type feathers at the shoulders rise against the paper, while a fur mantle with a red-trimmed, beaded collar anchors the lower half. Charcoal grey defines the lines, brick red and fur taupe fill the mantle and trim, and skin ochre gives the face its tone. A circular medallion with a profile of a man sits within an oval bead-trimmed panel, and the words NE-SOU-A-QUOIT and A FOX CHIEF label the portrait.

Meaning & Symbolism

The feathers, fur and beadwork are the markers of leadership in the portrait, presenting the chief in dress that signals his standing within his nation. The print belongs to the History of the Indian Tribes of North America, published between 1837 and 1844 by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall, and it was made during a period of territorial change and federal policy shifts affecting Great Lakes nations. The portraits served as a formal record of tribal leaders, and the publication stands as both an ethnographic survey and a political document of its time, showing how Native American leadership was documented within the expanding American narrative.

Crafted for the Tee

A portrait built on a vertical rectangle suits the chest of a tee, where the chief sits upright and faces the wearer directly. The bust-length figure and the medallion keep the composition compact, so the headdress and collar read clearly at a glance. The cream ground and the restrained palette of charcoal, brick red and taupe carry the historical character of the original lithograph onto the shirt.