Maffet Ledger: Drawing
Unknown Artist
ca. 1874–81
Medium
Graphite, watercolor, and crayon on paper
Dimensions
H. 11 3/4 × D. 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 (142)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vivid world of Plains Indian ledger art with this drawing from the *Maffet Ledger*, by an unknown Southern and Northern Cheyenne artist around 1874–81. During this turbulent era, following devastating conflicts like the Sand Creek Massacre and the of Little Bighorn Cheyenne people were confined to reservations. Ledger drawings emerged as a powerful form of visual storytelling, using salvaged paper from accountants' ledgers—hence the name—to chronicle warrior feats, daily life, and cultural narratives that might otherwise be lost. Crafted with graphite, watercolor, and crayon on ...