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Lot 93

Plains Tacked Telescope and Case
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Estimate
$6,000 - 8,000
Price Realized
$25,000
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium
Lot Description
Plains Tacked Telescope and Case
fourth quarter 19th century

crafted from harness leather, with tacked strap
 
overall length 27-3/4 inches

Joseph Henry Sharp painted a portrait of Bill Jones, a fullblood Gros Ventre army scout who wore a virtually identical telescope case with tacked strap around his neck. Sharp wrote that when Jones came into his studio and saw the finished portrait, he demanded five dollars because he couldn't sleep. Sharp asked why, and the Indian replied, "You painted me with my eyes open. How do you expect me to sleep with my eyes open?" (Hanson 1994: 28)

Published:
Spirits in the Art (Hanson 1994: 28, plate 27)

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