Noapeh Assiniboin Indian 1833

Karl Bodmer captured this portrait of Noapeh, an Assiniboin Indian, immortalizing his likeness and accoutrements. The shield emblazoned on Noapeh’s chest immediately draws the eye, its circular form a potent symbol found across cultures as diverse as ancient Greece and dynastic China. The shield, like the Gorgon shield of the ancient Greeks, warded off evil and offered protection, reflecting a deep-seated human need for security. Yet, consider the wheel-like design at its center: a visual echo of the sun, a motif that appears in ancient Egyptian iconography. The sun, often depicted with radiating lines, was revered as a symbol of life and regeneration. The cyclical nature of the sun mirrors the non-linear progression of symbols themselves. The symbol of the shield as a protector has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.