| Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow (Brant) was one of the sachems, or civil chiefs, of the Five Nations Iroquois Confederacy. The four chiefs, allies of the British, travelled to London in 1710 to ask for assistance against their French enemies. The chiefs secured military support from the British and also obtained help for missionary work and funding for a Mohawk chapel and fort. Queen Anne of England commissioned Jan Verelst (ca. 1648-1734), a Dutch artist, to paint official portraits of the chiefs to commemorate their visit. Note the tomahawk and the bear, the clan totem of the chief, at his feet. This painting is one of four portraits painted by Verelst and known as the "Four Indian Kings." Oil on canvas
C-92419 |