Iron White Man

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Ever since I came across the image of this Lakota Souix known as “Iron White Man” I was taken by the unusual red circle of war paint that he has around his eye, to my recollection it’s the only such display of war paint that I’ve ever seen. Then, in researching this striking fellow a little further, I found that he supposedly had ridden with Sitting Bull against General Custer at the Little Big Horn (although many Indians staked that claim). Then, after his days as a marauding warrior, he travelled with Wild West Shows that proved so successful touring across the United States and Europe.

In my rendition, I did add color to him opposed to as he was shown in my black and white photo reference. My colorized version has him in a dapper, post reservation interment wardrobe that incudes; a white shirt (common to the times), a rakish lavender colored, satin ascot (albeit a rather rough version of an ascot with torn edges) with matching beads and mother of pearl accents, a rough red blanket tied over his shoulder, a gray pin striped vest festooned with a Deputy Sheriff’s badge, a decorative gold, stick pin coin. Numerous hair adornments that include braided cords trailing strands of beads and feathers, head feathers along with an interesting square shaped, woven hair piece… and last, but not least, his own trademark of circular red war paint.