Biróhkä is a Hidatsa man who was probably wealthy, based on his painted hat made from the coveted white buffalo and his beautifully painted robe. Prince Maximilian provided two distinct translations for his name: “The Robe with the Beautiful Hair” and “He Who veers from the Side”. His Mandan nickname, Pahchub-Haska, means “Big Nose”.

The painted feathered circle is a pattern that is found in clothing in Mandan and Sioux cultures as well as among the Hidatsa. It represents the feathered bonnets worn by accomplished warriors. Robes adorned with this pattern are commonly referred to as “men’s robes”, the term probably derived from the association of the clothing with honored battle feats.

This beautiful watercolor was painted by Bodmer in 1834; the image is incorporated in our Perfect Recreation of the later aquatint Tableau 27, Scalp Dance of the Minitarres.

About Karl Bodmer

In 1832-34 German explorer-naturalist Prince Maximilian of Weid-Neuweid traveled the interior regions of North America to document what he referred to as vanishing cultures, the tribes of Native Americans who live in what was then a vast wilderness west of the Mississippi. Accompanying him was 23-year-old Swiss artist Karl Bodmer (1809-93), whom Maximilian employed to capture a “faithful and vivid picture” of American Indian people. During their journey, Bodmer painted chiefs and warriors from the same tribes -- and in some cases the same individuals -- that Lewis & Clark met on their journey nearly three decades before.

If you'd like to see and learn more about this fascinating body of work, click here to buy Karl Bodmer's America at Amazon.com