Maffet Ledger: Drawing
Unknown Artist
ca. 1874–81
Medium
Graphite, watercolor, and crayon on paper
Dimensions
H. 11 3/4 × W. 5 1/4 in. (29.8 × 13.3 cm)
Classification
Paper-Drawings
Culture
Southern and Northern Cheyenne
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Purchase, Nelson A. Rockefeller Gift, 1968
Accession Number
1978.412.207 (64)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, and Northern Cheyenne artists created vivid ledger drawings like this one from the *Maffet Ledger* (ca. 1874–81), using readily available materials such as graphite, watercolor, crayon on paper. Depicting men on horseback wielding bows and arrows, the work captures the dynamic essence of Plains warrior life—hunting, raiding, and communal prowess—rendered in bold outlines and flat, symbolic colors typical of the genre. These small-scale pieces (11 3/4 × 5 1/4 in.) were often made in ledger books repurposed from traders' accounting pads, reflecting resourcefulness amid ...