Cotsiogo Explained

Cotsiogo
Image Upright:1
Other Names:Codsiogo, Katsikodi, Cadzi Cody
Occupation:Artist
Known For:Hide paintings
Parents:Washakie

Cotsiogo (–1912), also known as Codsiogo, Katsikodi, or Cadzi Cody, was an Eastern Shoshone artist known for his hide paintings. He lived on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.

Early life

Born in the 1860s, Cotsiogo was a son of Eastern Shoshone leader Washakie.[1] During Cotsiogo's lifetime, the tribe was placed on the Wind River Indian Reservation in the Wyoming Territory, a reservation established by the Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868.[2] [3]

Work

Cotsiogo was known for his paintings on animal hides, including elk hide. His earliest paintings had depictions of the Wolf (War) Dance with a US flag at the center of the piece. The Shoshone Wolf Dance evolved into the Grass Dance, with men dancers going from having "one or two feathers in their hair to war bonnets with long streamers and feather bustles". Depictions of the Wolf Dance were quickly replaced by the Sun Dance, Grass Dance, and buffalo hunts. Cotsiogo, who sold his paintings to white tourists visiting the Wind River Reservation, included scenes of traditional buffalo hunts because they were seen as more desirable by buyers.[4] Thanks to the tourist economy, new trade markets, and the influx of new materials, artists like Cotsiogo were able to produce works that helped support themselves and their families.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WIND RIVER SHOSHONE PAINTED ELK HIDE . 10 December 2023 . Christie's.
  2. Web site: Kilroy-Ewbank . Lauren . Eastern Shoshone: Hide Painting of the Sun Dance, attributed to Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody) . 10 December 2023 . Khan Academy.
  3. Web site: Guenther . Todd . Stewart . James J. . Copp-LaRocque . Clara . Brow . Gale . Codsiogo . 10 December 2023 . Nebula.wsimg.com . Central Wyoming College.
  4. Web site: Scenes of Plains Indian Life . 10 December 2023 . Minneapolis Institute of Art.
  5. Web site: Painted Elk Hide . 10 December 2023 . Brooklyn Museum.