Maffet Ledger: Indian and soldier on horseback, soldier, horse wounded

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, and Northern Cheyenne artists created vivid ledger drawings like this one from the *Maffet Ledger*, scenes of conflict and daily life on paper salvaged from accounting books. Dated around 1874–81, this work depicts an Indian warrior and a soldier on horseback, alongside another soldier and a wounded horse, in graphite outlines filled with watercolor and crayon. The modest dimensions—11 3/4 × 5 1/4 inches—belie its powerful storytelling, a hallmark of Plains Indian pictorial tradition. These drawings emerged during a turbulent era following devastating wars, such as t...