Framed Old Watercolor of Native American Chief brittan animals and a pretty rare one

and a pretty rare one

and the ice below

which makes me think the carver him or herself might have been a bit bashful about carving a nude

and signed on the underside of one foot

Dating to the mid 19th century or so

Framed Old Watercolor of Native American Chief brittan animals and a pretty rare oneBased on the squash blossom form of his necklace (a Navajo adaptation of the crescent shaped "naja" of the Spanish, from what I understand), I belief the chief represented here is most likely Southwestern Pueblo, and I would guess the watercolor dates to the early 20th century. I love his face, and the soft, relatively subtle palette and manner of the painting, which makes it feels pretty tender to me. 11 1 4" x 9 1 4" framed. Visible image: 8 1 2" x