Ball-play of the Choctaw--Ball Down
1834-1835
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 49.7 × 70.1 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-136504
In Choctaw lacrosse, which George Catlin witnessed in 1834, each team was cheered on by friends, family, and fans who camped at the opposite ends of the field to watch the game and bet on its outcome. Catlin noted that women did much of the wagering, which involved “knives-dresses-blankets-pots and kettles-dogs and horses, and guns.”
Provenance
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Joseph Harrison, Jr.
Registry history
- 1834-1835 — Recorded in the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum
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