Half of a Tabard

The absence of cultural information about this feathered garment (and the other two featherworks in our collection: 1955.1778 and 1955.1783) demonstrates what knowledge was lost because of undocumented excavations—especially those that took place in the late 19th century before modern archaeological practices were established. Early collectors rarely kept as robust records as someone might today. Nonetheless, these miraculously well-preserved feathered garments remain a testament to Indigenous creativity and artistry in the Americas.