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 (96)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of Southern and Northern Cheyenne with the *Maffet Ledger: Drawing*, by an unknown artist around 1874–81. This intimate work on paper, measuring just 11¾ × 5¼ inches, employs graphite, watercolor, and crayon to vividly capture scenes likely featuring horses, firearms, men, and womenhallmarks of Plains Indian ledger art. Produced during a turbulent era following the Indian Wars, these drawings repurposed everyday ledger paper from traders or agencies, transforming accounting sheets into powerful visual narratives. Ledger drawings like this one emerged in the late 19th centu...