McKenney and Hall, 1836-1844 - PES-KE-LE-CHA-CO, A PAWNEE CHIEF., from History of the Indian Tribes of North - ca. 1841 - T-Shirt

This hand-coloured lithograph gives a dignified bust portrait of Pes-Ke-Le-Cha-Co, a Pawnee chief, set on a single framed plate.

Visual Elements & Composition

The portrait fills a vertical rectangle, with the figure's face and shoulders dominating the frame. Warm cream and grey-white form the ground, while tan skin tones and a touch of coral red stand out against charcoal black linework. The red roach headdress with its feather-like hair, a trade-silver earring, a medallion pendant with a profile portrait, and a red horse figure on a fur-trimmed robe all sit close to the figure. Printed text reads "PÉS.KE.LE.CHA.CO." and "A PAWNEE CHIEF.", with the publisher line "PUBLISHED BY J.T. BOWEN, PHILAD'A" beneath.

Meaning & Symbolism

The headdress, medallion and robe are personal marks of rank and identity, recorded with care rather than as costume. The print comes from McKenney and Hall's History of the Indian Tribes of North America, a nineteenth-century project that Thomas McKenney, head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, set in motion to preserve likenesses of Native leaders. Many of those leaders travelled to Washington, D.C., to negotiate treaties and press grievances with the United States government, so their portraits stand as records of political agency and resilience during a period of rapid change.

Wearing the Portrait

A portrait this detailed rewards a close look, and a tee lets the image sit at chest height where the headdress, earring and medallion can be read at a glance. The composition is built around a single central figure, so the design reads as one clear image from across the room.