Hand-colored lithograph, Chief Wa Pel La, Meskwaki, McKenney Hall, John Quincy Adams 1865

This historical art print (hand-colored lithograph) shows a portrait painting of the significant Meskwaki chief Wa-Pel-La, also known under the title Wa-Pel-La, A Musquakee Chief, based on a masterful original work by the famous American portrait painter Charles Bird King. The valuable print comes from the monumental ethnographic masterpiece "History of the Indian Tribes of North America" by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall, which was originally published in the 19th century. The detailed and expressive depiction features the traditional clothing of the indigenous leader, a fine feathered headdress, and a prominent official peace medal, which the chief proudly wears around his neck as a symbol of diplomatic relations. On this so-called Indian Peace Medal, upon closer inspection, the fine profile of John Quincy Adams, the 6th president of the United States, can be seen. Wa-Pel-La was known as a peaceful and far-sighted leader of his tribe who, in 1837, together with the famous chief Keokuk, led a delegation to Washington to sign treaties for the territorial security of his people.

This antique collector's item is an original hand-colored lithograph from the rarer small octavo editions, the production of which began in 1848. On the sheet itself, the text RICE, RUTTER & CO. Publishers can be clearly recognized on the bottom right, which documents that this present specimen comes from the octavo edition from circa 1865 to 1870. On the bottom left, the historical catalog number No. 50 is also clearly visibly printed. The historical original sheet is protected and decoratively presented by an elegant red mat, in which the document was intentionally not glued in order to fully preserve the paper structure. The antiquity shows light age-appropriate spots as well as a natural darkening on the right edge of the sheet, while fine foxing is visible on the back, but overall it is in a good, authentic condition with charming traces of time. The outer dimensions of the mat are exactly 34 x 24 cm with a pure sheet dimension of 26.8 x 17.3 cm.