The Art of the English Trade Gun in North America

by Nathan E. Bender

Overview

Symbolic ornamentation inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art is a long-standing Western tradition. The author explores the designs of 18th century English gunsmiths who engraved classical ornamental patterns on firearms gifted or traded to American Indians. A system of allegory is found that symbolized the Americas of the New World in general, and that enshrined the American Indian peoples as "noble savages."

The same allegorical context was drawn upon for symbols of national liberty in the early American republic. Inadvertently, many of the symbolic designs used on the trade guns strongly resonated with several Native American spiritual traditions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476632728
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	07/06/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	179
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Nathan E. Bender is a librarian/archivist in Laramie, Wyoming, and an independent research folklorist. He has published on western folklore and history, historic archaeology and material culture, and Native American studies in scholarly books and journals.
Nathan E. Bender is a librarian/archivist in Laramie, Wyoming, and an independent research folklorist. He has published on western folklore and history, historic archaeology and material culture, and Native American studies in scholarly books and journals.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction: Designing Beauty for a New World
1. Light Fusils for the Iroquois
2. Broad Arrow and Sitting Fox
3. St. George and the Dragon
4. Chief’s Gun Patterns and Ornamentation
5. Arrows of Artemis
6. Diana and the Dragon
7. America and the Noble Savage
8. American Liberty
9. Respect for Arrows
Bibliography
Index