McKenney and Hall, 1836-1844 - PEAH-MUS-KA. A MUSQUAKE CHIEF., from History of the Indian Tribes of North - ca. 1838 - T-Shirt

This design reproduces a hand-coloured lithographic portrait of Peah-Mus-Ka, a Musquake (Meskwaki) chief, from a landmark nineteenth-century publication on the Indigenous peoples of North America.

Visual Elements & Composition

The seated bust is set within an oval vignette, with the figure's head and shoulders dominating the frame. Cream fills most of the background, with tan skin tones, black and crimson accents, and pale grey-white highlights. A black headband with a red feather plume, silver ear ornaments, and a white blanket draped over one shoulder mark the figure's dress. Beneath the oval sits a rectangular caption block reading "PEAH-MUS-KA" and "A MUSQUAKEE CHIEF.", with the publisher's line naming F.W. Greenough of Philadelphia.

Meaning & Symbolism

The portrait belongs to History of the Indian Tribes of North America, issued in several volumes during the 1830s and 1840s. Thomas McKenney, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, commissioned the project to create a visual record of Native leadership, and many of the original likenesses came from painter Charles Bird King. Portraits like this captured tribal leaders who travelled to Washington, D.C., during a period of federal pressure and westward removal. The format reflects the documentary and ethnographic outlook of its era, yet it also preserves the individuality and presence of the sitter.

Wearing the Portrait

The oval vignette sits naturally at the centre of the chest, so the portrait reads clearly from across a room as well as up close. The caption block below the image gives the piece its documentary character, placing the chief's name and title where the wearer's eye lands last.