Chief No-Cush (No-Cush) Artist: Charles Bird King (American, 1785–1862)

ca. 1830

American Paintings and Sculpture

Not on view

This portrait of No-Cush is the only miniature by easel painter Charles Bird King. Like his other portraits of Native Americans, this image was painted during his time at the War Department, which commissioned him to take likenesses of Native American delegations visiting Washington, D.C., on diplomatic missions. The sitter wears a silver peace medal, a medallion given to Native American chiefs by both trading companies and the United States government as a token of good will and mutual trust.

Medium

Oil and watercolor over graphite pencil, varnished, on ivory

Dimensions

2 5/8 × 2 1/16 in. (6.7 × 5.2 cm)

Credit Line

Lelia A. and John Hill Morgan, B.A. 1893, LL.B. 1896, M.A. (Hon.) 1929, Collection

Accession Number

1940.505

Geography

Made in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Culture

American

Period

19th century

Classification

Miniatures

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Object copyright
No Copyright - United States
Additional information

Object/Work type

portraits

Subject

Indian peace medals Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples in art diplomacy diplomats

Inscriptions

Inscribed in ink on reverse of backing paper: "Chief No Cush/ Chas B. King"

Technical metadata and APIs

IIIF

Open in Mirador

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