"Koda, Nape Ciuza" ("Friend, I Shake Your Hand"), 1966
Oscar Howe
"Koda, Nape Ciuza" ("Friend, I Shake Your Hand"), 1966
Gouache on paper
Signed and dated lower right: Oscar Howe, with the artist's fingerprint imprinted in paint in the lower right sheet margin; titled on a label affixed to the frame's backing board
Image: 20.625" H x 21.375" W; Sheet: 22.375" H x 23.375" W
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
John C. Weaver, gift from the above in thanks for his commencement address on January 28, 1967
A Private Rancho Palos Verdes Estate, by descent from the above
Notes:
Oscar Howe (1915-1983) was a renowned Native American artist who is best known for his innovative and expressive depictions of traditional Dakota culture and mythology. Born on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota, Howe grew up immersed in his heritage and was deeply influenced by the rich visual traditions of his people.
Despite facing significant obstacles as a Native American artist in a predominantly white art world, Howe persevered and became one of the most respected and celebrated artists of his generation. Howe experimented with a wide range of artistic styles and techniques, eventually developing a highly individualized style that blended traditional Dakota imagery with contemporary abstract forms. He drew inspiration from the geometric designs and bright colors of Dakota beadwork and quillwork, as well as from the bold, sweeping lines of modernist painting.
Throughout his career, Howe created a vast body of work that included paintings, drawings, prints, and murals, as well as sculptures and installations. His art was exhibited widely in galleries and museums across the United States and Europe, and he received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field. Despite facing discrimination and marginalization throughout his life, Oscar Howe remained committed to his artistic vision and his cultural heritage.
In 2022, a major exhibition titled "Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe" opened at the National Museum of the American Indian, New York which reintroduced Howe's work to contemporary audiences. The exhibition subsequently traveled to the Portland Art Museum in Oregon and will be on view at the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University from June 10, 2023 to September 17, 2023.
A label on the frame verso, typewritten by the artist, provides the following explanation of this painting's subject matter:
"HORSE DANCER" (Sunk waci)
"Sioux Indians (Dakota's) really appreciated the horse and his use to them, in hunting, warfare and many other uses. The horse appropriately named SUNKA WAKAN, (Sacred Dog) and considered mysterious - He is given a dance in his honor, in which the horse dances or performs in rhythm to singing with drumbeats - Horse is with or without rider - Horses used in dance usually number between 20 to 40 - in each performance in formation as according to cardinal points (different colors artificial).
"The background as related to foreground (in form, rhythm etc.) is explained through Sioux language, of nature or natural dimensional meanings and feelings which I try to objectify, the visual form by verbal (Sioux) meanings. Sioux terminology makes for poetic aesthetic form and forms.
"(The colors of the horses according to the cardinal points are. Four black horses represent the west; white, the north; sorrel, the east; buckskin, the south)."
Condition: Overall very good condition. The colors vibrant. There are remnants of yellowed masking tape adhesive measuring .25" in width along all four edges, with a series of staple holes visible along the extreme top edge.
Framed under glass: 28.5" H x 29.5" W x 1.75" D
Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.
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Oscar Howe
"Koda, Nape Ciuza" ("Friend, I Shake Your Hand"), 1966
Gouache on paper
Signed and dated lower right: Oscar Howe, with the artist's fingerprint imprinted in paint in the lower right sheet margin; titled on a label affixed to the frame's backing board
Image: 20.625" H x 21.375" W; Sheet: 22.375" H x 23.375" W
University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
John C. Weaver, gift from the above in thanks for his commencement address on January 28, 1967
A Private Rancho Palos Verdes Estate, by descent from the above
Notes:
Oscar Howe (1915-1983) was a renowned Native American artist who is best known for his innovative and expressive depictions of traditional Dakota culture and mythology. Born on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota, Howe grew up immersed in his heritage and was deeply influenced by the rich visual traditions of his people.
Despite facing significant obstacles as a Native American artist in a predominantly white art world, Howe persevered and became one of the most respected and celebrated artists of his generation. Howe experimented with a wide range of artistic styles and techniques, eventually developing a highly individualized style that blended traditional Dakota imagery with contemporary abstract forms. He drew inspiration from the geometric designs and bright colors of Dakota beadwork and quillwork, as well as from the bold, sweeping lines of modernist painting.
Throughout his career, Howe created a vast body of work that included paintings, drawings, prints, and murals, as well as sculptures and installations. His art was exhibited widely in galleries and museums across the United States and Europe, and he received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field. Despite facing discrimination and marginalization throughout his life, Oscar Howe remained committed to his artistic vision and his cultural heritage.
In 2022, a major exhibition titled "Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe" opened at the National Museum of the American Indian, New York which reintroduced Howe's work to contemporary audiences. The exhibition subsequently traveled to the Portland Art Museum in Oregon and will be on view at the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University from June 10, 2023 to September 17, 2023.
A label on the frame verso, typewritten by the artist, provides the following explanation of this painting's subject matter:
"HORSE DANCER" (Sunk waci)
"Sioux Indians (Dakota's) really appreciated the horse and his use to them, in hunting, warfare and many other uses. The horse appropriately named SUNKA WAKAN, (Sacred Dog) and considered mysterious - He is given a dance in his honor, in which the horse dances or performs in rhythm to singing with drumbeats - Horse is with or without rider - Horses used in dance usually number between 20 to 40 - in each performance in formation as according to cardinal points (different colors artificial).
"The background as related to foreground (in form, rhythm etc.) is explained through Sioux language, of nature or natural dimensional meanings and feelings which I try to objectify, the visual form by verbal (Sioux) meanings. Sioux terminology makes for poetic aesthetic form and forms.
"(The colors of the horses according to the cardinal points are. Four black horses represent the west; white, the north; sorrel, the east; buckskin, the south)."
Condition: Overall very good condition. The colors vibrant. There are remnants of yellowed masking tape adhesive measuring .25" in width along all four edges, with a series of staple holes visible along the extreme top edge.
Framed under glass: 28.5" H x 29.5" W x 1.75" D
Condition reports are offered as a courtesy and are typically published in Moran's catalogue or can be made available upon request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of others. Buyers are responsible for determining to their own satisfaction the true nature and condition of any lot prior to bidding. Though buyers are not legally required to inspect lots prior to purchase, failure to do so may constitute a waiver of complaint that an item was not delivered in a condition equal to the existent condition at the auction.
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