EDWARD SHERIFF CURTIS Pl. 614 A Zuni Woman, 1903 Holland Van Gelder from Portfolio 17 printed 1922 of The North American IndianASG# ESC/8738

The Curtis caption reads: "Bowls of food are often thus carried on the head with a woven yucca ring during an intermission in or following a ceremony, when the participants feast."

One of his classic studio style character portraits of a Zuni Woman wrapped in a blanket with a large traditional Zuni bowl balanced on her head.

Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952) created a legacy that was a monumental visual tour de force, an ethnographic, heroic and theatrical record of the American Indian and their recollected and imagined way of life before the white man. Between 1898 and 1928 Working in collaboration with many tribal members Curtis created an ethno-historical account combined with photographic notions of character portraiture, environmental portraiture and classical romanticism as well as straight documentary views. He published 20 octavo volumes with around 75 prints per volume each accompanied with a larger portfolio of usually 36 hand pulled photogravures. THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN(1906-1928) is considered the most lavish and elegantly illustrated set of photographic books ever produced. This has lot has original vintage photogravures from this publication made under Curtis supervision.

Excellent. Minor wear, sunning in margins around image. ex-library Trinity College Library Hartford