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TC01-562
Cunne Shote, the Indian CHIEF, A great Warrior of the Cherokee Nation.
TC01-562

Cunne Shote, the Indian CHIEF, A great Warrior of the Cherokee Nation.

Dateca. 1763
Engraver James McArdell (1728 - 1765)
After work by Francis Parsons
OriginEngland, London
MediumBlack and white mezzotint engraving
DimensionsOH: 14 1/4" x OW: 10 5/8"; Plate H: 14" x W: 10"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number2002-10
DescriptionThe lower margin reads: "Cunne Shote, the Indian CHIEF,/ A great Warrior of the Cherokee Nation./ F. Parsons pinx.t/ J.s M.cArdell fecit."
Label TextCunne Shote, or Cummacatogue, was one of the three Cherokees escorted to London in 1762 by Henry Timberlake. He was the center figure pictured in the print of the three Cherokees. While they were in London, Cunne Shote also sat for an individual portrait that was subsequently engraved in mezzotint.

The combination of English and Native clothing and accoutrements was meant to suggest the harmonious unity between cultures. The medals that he wore around his neck were both struck in 1761 to commemorate the marriage of George III and Charlotte. He also wears a silver gorget with the initials "GR III." The most striking aspect of the portrait however is the forceful grip that he has on the scalping knife - a clear visual reminder of the tenuous relationship between the Cherokees and the English and Europeans living in the South.
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