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The sculpture depicts a person's bust with facial features including expressive eyes, a defined nose, and prominent lips painted red. The hair is styled upwards and has earthy brown hues with a deep blue headwrap. The figure wears two rows of beads around the neck: one red and one blue. A tattoo-like swirl is visible on the upper chest. The material appears to be wood with visible grains and a rough, unfinished base. Signs of aging such as cracks and patina give it a weathered appearance.
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The sculpture depicts a person's bust with facial features including expressive eyes, a defined nose, and prominent lips painted red. The hair is styled upwards and has earthy brown hues with a deep blue headwrap. The figure wears two rows of beads around the neck: one red and one blue. A tattoo-like swirl is visible on the upper chest. The material appears to be wood with visible grains and a rough, unfinished base. Signs of aging such as cracks and patina give it a weathered appearance.

National Gallery of Art · Index of American Design

"Indian Princess" Figurehead

Mary E. Humes

Date
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 44.8 x 32.6 cm (17 5/8 x 12 13/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design · Drawing
Accession number
1943.8.9888
Credit line
Index of American Design
Time span
1926 to 1950
Department
CG-W
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • American

NGA object ID 21984. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.