Roman Nose ~ Jerry Crandall

Description

The most famous and prominent Cheyenne warrior in the 1860s was Roman Nose. He was not a chief but a member of the crooked lance society. He was a fearless fighter and never injured in battle as he was guided by a medicine man named White Buffalo Bull. Roman Nose was known for his famous one-of-a-kind single-horn war bonnet which was made for him by White buffalo bull. It was constructed from only natural materials, nothing was used that was made by European cultured people. It was considered very sacred and had to be blessed before being used in battle. In order to make the sacred medicine complete, Roman Nose was directed to paint his face with yellow forehead, red stripe across his nose and black on his chin. His body was to be painted all black with yellow hail marks. He was also directed not to touch any metal objects before going into battle. Unknowingly, a Sioux woman gave him some food that had been touched by metal utensils a few days before he fought in the famous Beecher Island Battle. Because his medicine was broken, he was killed during that fight. Jerry Crandall’s original oil of Roman Nose is 24″ X 36″.