Antique Hand-Colored Lithograph "Se-Loc-Ta, a Creek Chief"

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This hand-colored lithograph depicts Selocta (also known as Selocta Chinnabby), a prominent Muscogee and Natchez chief who allied himself with … Read more This hand-colored lithograph depicts Selocta (also known as Selocta Chinnabby), a prominent Muscogee and Natchez chief who allied himself with the United States during the War of 1812 and the Creek War. This print is a plate from the landmark, multi-volume publication History of the Indian Tribes of North America, originally published by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall in Philadelphia between 1836 and 1844.

The image is based on an original oil portrait painted by artist Charles Bird King when Selocta visited Washington D.C. as part of a Creek delegation. Tragically, the original King paintings were housed at the Smithsonian Institution until they were lost in a fire in 1865, making these contemporaneous lithographs the definitive visual records of many prominent Native American leaders. The portrait showcases traditional attire, including a red turban, a blue tunic, and a prominent silver peace medal given to him by President John Quincy Adams. See less