McCord Museum
“David Ross McCord acquired this Iroquois headdress in the belief that it had been worn by the famous Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, born in 1768 and killed in 1813 at the Battle of Moraviantown. This rare headdress comprises a complete deer-head skin with antlers, eagle feathers, porcupine quills and red ochre. Though we cannot be certain that McCord's attribution is correct, numerous stylistic elements suggest that the headdress is indeed Iroquois. The form of the headband and cap resemble those of the 19th-century Iroquois man's headdress called a gostoweh. In Iroquois tradition, antlered headdresses are worn by chiefs.”
“This wooden bow would have originally been strung with an animal (sinew, gut or twisted rawhide) or plant fibre bowstring. The bow is elaborately incised with a mix of traditional Aboriginal and European-influenced motifs. A Thunderbird, crane and catfish can be seen, which are representations of clan identification animals called dodems. Four men are also depicted - two holding bows and arrows and two armed with guns. Decorative elements include floral motifs and triangular chip carving. The incised designs are filled with alternating black and red pigments to increase their visibility. […]David Ross McCord, the founder of the McCord Museum, acquired this bow. He believed that it had been owned by the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, born in 1768 and killed in 1813 at the Battle of Moraviantown.”