Florida Lost Tribes - Paintings by Theodore Morris

These beautiful oil paintings are for sale - click on any image to see a larger view. Please contact Florida Lost Tribes at morristheodore@hotmail.com if you're interested in receiving more information. Frames are extra. Limited edition giclee prints are also available. Please note that exact colors may not transfer accurately on computer screens.

SACRED RAIN
The Calusa believed there were three gods who ruled the world. The greatest and most powerful of these gods controlled the weather, sun, moon, and stars. Elaborate carved wood masks were part of the Calusa religious pageantry. To emphasize the strength of the shaman, Theodore Morris placed him in the bright sunlight in contrast to the dark squall line approaching. Oil Painting (20" x 30") - $6,400

Artifacts & Objects: bone hairpins; carved and painted wood mask; seagull, cormorant and hawk feathers; shell and wood ear ornaments; bone necklace; shell bead necklace; deer hide mantle; body paint: red berry mixture and galena (silver powder made from lead traded from Missouri); painted shells; buckskin loincloth; tassels made from finely spun cords of dyed cottonwood tree down; blue jay and pheasant feathers; pearl bracelet; and white Ibis.

MORNING HUNT
In the misty morning hours a Tocobaga tribesman stalks his prey. The intricate tattoos on his body indicate he is a leader among his people. The Tocobaga people around Tampa Bay fished, hunted and gathered food from their rich environment. Oil Painting (30" x 40") - $6,750

Artifacts & Objects: raccoon tail; fish bladder ear decorations; wood spear with one tip; shell bead necklace; shell pendant; and shell bead bracelet.

Artifacts & Objects: bone hairpin; eagle and turkey feathers; body paint; hunting bow and arrow; shell garget; shark tooth armband; wrist shell beads; and buckskin loincloth.

EARLY

The atmosphere Theodore Morris tried to create in this painting was one which would demonstrate these early people's oneness with nature and its unity with them. He wanted the viewer to sense the respect that this quiet hunter gives his prey. Beyond that, the hunter's stalwart eyes reveal that he will complete the task before him. Oil Painting (30" x 40") - $6,300

Artifacts & Objects: shell bead bracelets; shark tooth pendant; spear point made from chert (stone); and hawk feather.

In this painting, Theodore Morris adorned this colorful principal leader with symbols of red flames leaping from his chest and red paint on his face. His gaze is one of intensity, and strong determination. He is perhaps the leader of the hunt. In his hand is an atlatl (spear thrower) with a carving of a rabbit at the top. The spear base is inserted into the groove of the rabbit. The thrust of the atlatl projects the spear further and faster than hand thrown, alone. Oil Painting (24" x 18") - $2,100

Artifacts & Objects: pheasant and turkey feathers; fish bladder ear decorations; wood labet inserted under lip; body paint; carved stone pendant; pearl necklace; silver and copper alloy metal disc; and atlatl with rabbit carving.

Artifacts & Objects: eagle headdress with tassel; turkey feet ear adornments; hardwood war club; shell and pearl bead armbands; deerskin breechcloth with raccoon tails; and circular chest piece: thin layer of copper over carved wood.

In this painting, Theodore Morris tried to capture the warrior's intensity. The painted deerskin robe protects him from north Florida's frigid winter weather. Morris took the symbols from the Apalachee pottery designs to decorate the deerskin. Oil Painting (24" x 18") - $3,900

Artifacts & Objects: seagull, turkey, Cormorant, eagle and Blue Jay feathers; shell beads; copper ear decorations; pearl necklace; and deer skin robe.

Artifacts & Objects: LEFT: Cormorant feathers; carved and painted wood mask; silver pendant; copper bead necklace; shell hair beads; body paint; and shell and bone bracelets. RIGHT: bone hairpins; carved and painted wood mask; shell bead armband; and body paint.

RED WOLF (AIS)

This painting portrays an elderly Ais warrior. His wisdom and alertness are symbolized by his headdress. The light and dark colors in the painting are used to emphasize the strength of this individual. He would have been an elder in the Wolf Clan. Oil Painting (20" x 24") - $3,300

Artifacts & Objects: wolf pelt with shell eyes; copper ear ornament; shell bead necklaces; copper pendant; bone bead necklace with shark tooth pendant.

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TOCOBAGA with PANTHER

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TIMUCUA FISHERMAN

A Timucua fisherman examines his arrow prior to shooting at a fish in the tidal waters of northeast Florida. The arrowhead is secured to the shaft with pine resin and further secured by binding with rawhide strips. Oil Painting (20" x 16") - $1,900

Artifacts & Objects: Bald Eagle; bone hairpin; pelican feathers; body paint; copper disc ear ornament; shell bead necklace; deerskin; shark tooth pendant; carved bone arrowhead.

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FRESHWATER TIMUCUA

The Eastern Freshwater Timucua lived inland from northeast coastal Florida. In the 1560's, a chief was described as using red face paint. The tattoos are based on designs used on Timucua pottery. Oil Painting (20" x 16") - $2,600

Artifacts & Objects: hawk feathers; red ochre face paint; egret feather; tattoos; shell beads; painted feather; Blue Jay feather; copper disc; shell pendant.

TIMUCUA WAR LEADER

The Timucua were a loose band of tribes who spoke the same dialect and fought each other from time to time. This warrior gazes out at his world. As a clan leader, his courage and experience were critical for the survival of the tribe. Oil Painting (11" x 14") - $900 - SOLD

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PENSACOLA CEREMONY

Pensacola villages were clustered around coastal estuaries in northwest Florida. Villages had community-wide activities and ceremonies viewed as necessary for the well- being of the group. Perhaps this maiden is dressed in her finery to attend a tribal ceremony. Oil Painting (24" x 18") - $3,300

Artifacts & Objects: assorted feathers; body paint; copper ear disc; wood labret; shell bead & bone necklaces; Sand Dollar pendant; carved bone comb; pearl armbands & bracelets.

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SEMINOLE WARRIOR

The Seminole were tribes who left their traditional homeland in Georgia and Alabama. Many escaped slaves took refuge with them in Florida. When the Seminole obstructed the advance of white land-seekers and refused to retrurn slaves, Andrew Jackson pushed them farther south in the First Seminole War (1817-18). The treaty of Payne's Landing (1832) called for removal of the Seminole, but many in the tribe resisted. This action became knwn as the Second Seminole War (1835-42). I painted this warrior standing in a wild and open field with the sun setting. This ending of the day represents the fate of many in the Seminole tribe. Oil Painting (36" x 24") - $5,200

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Theodore Morris painted this figure as if the Chief were looking directly at the viewer in a confrontational manner. Oil Painting - $5,850

Artifacts & Objects: Turkey Vulture; raccoon tail; eagle feathers; tattoos; painted fish bladder ear decorations; Turkey Vulture feathers; copper breast plate; shell beads; deer hide robe; chert (stone) spear points; and painted hide straps.

SPIRIT WOMAN
People living in north Florida made some of the most beautiful ceramics ever created by North American Indians. This culture was called Weedon Island (A.D. 250 to 750) which was named for an archaeological site on Tampa Bay. Ceramics were used in burial rituals. The bird effigy vessels are more like sculpture than pottery. Their beliefs were organized into three worlds: the Upper World, inhabited by beings such as the sun & moon. This World , the world of people; and the Under World, inhabited by monsters & ghosts. Within This World four legged animals were important. Birds were of the air and had a special relationship to the Upper World. Lineage or clan mounds contained female burials, which would be expected in a society in which lineage membership was traced through the female line. Oil Painting (28" x 22") - $5,800

Artifacts & Objects: shell, pearl & bone necklaces; assorted pottery – some painted; Pine Barrens Tree Frog; Green Anole.

CHIEF SATURIBA'S QUEEN
This Timucua queen stands framed against the strikingly beautiful saltwater marshes of St. George Island near the St. Johns River. Island living had many benefits including security and the easy gathering of seafood. Oil Painting (24" x 30") - $4,800

Artifacts & Objects: egret, hawk, pelican feathers; tattoos; shell beads; feather fan; painted deerskin robe; olive shell; cypress tree with Resurrection Ferns.

THE POTTER
The Ft. Walton Culture (Mississippian period 1000 A.D. To 1500 A.D.) was part of an elaborate trade network linking peoples from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes and extending to Oklahoma. Early pottery was made with clay that contained sand. Later pottery was made from clay containing ground up potsherds (temper) which made the finished pottery stronger and less likely to crack during drying. Coils of clay were used to build pots. Elaborately shaped and decorated vessels were generally made for religious and ceremonial purposes. Oil Painting (40" x 30") - $7,000- SOLD

Artifacts & Objects: wood hairpin; shell beads; Blue Jay feather; face paint; necklace beads made from shell & pearls; shell pendant; arm, wrist, and ankle shell beads; shell scraping tool; deer hide; deerskin blanket & loin cloth; wood & shell tools; cockle shell; Unicorn Beetle; Monarch & Julia Butterfly.

SCRUB JAY
A Jeaga maiden greets a familiar Scrub Jay. Both their worlds encompass only a few miles. Like a tribe, Scrub Jays live in families of up to eight birds and cooperate in food gathering, watching for enemies, and even feeding babies. This painting shows the close spiritual connection the Florida Indians had with their environment. Copper and glass beads were used by the Spanish for trade. Oil Painting (20" x 34") - $3,500- SOLD

Artifacts & Objects: hawk feather; face & body paint made from crushed shell; copper necklace; glass beads & cut crystal pendant necklace; deer skin; Florida Scrub Jay; glass & copper bracelets; dragonfly.

MOON DANCE WOMEN
At dusk, two Jeaga women prepare to join in an evening ceremonial dance. One will sing while the other dances until midnight. Oil Painting (18" x 24") - $3,200

Artifacts & Objects: bone hairpins; Egret & Blue Jay feathers; face paint; shell beads.

MARTIRES CHIEF
The Martires (Florida Keys) Indians were described as “ having no gold, less silver, and less clothing. They go naked, except only some breech-cloths woven of palm, with which the men cover themselves.” These tribes salvaged Spanish shipwrecks and killed and captured survivors. Much of the gold and silver, along with captives, were sent as tribute to the Calusa tribe. Oil Painting (11" x 14") - $900

Artifacts & Objects: headdress of assorted feathers; scallop shell pendant; face paint.

GENERATIONS
This stoic and proud Timucua warrior wears a Panther headdress as a symbol of high military rank. Polished shells that reflect sunlight are used for the eyes. His son holds a bow that he will learn to shoot small animals. This training will in the future be an important skill for the survival of the tribe. Oil Painting (36" x 24") - $6,100

Artifacts & Objects: hawk & Blue Jay feathers; panther skin; pheasant feathers; face tattoo & paint; shell & pearl beads; scallop shell pendant; river cane arrows; copper breastplate; body tattoo & paint; olive shell beads; copper disc with turkey feather; painted deerskin; deerskin loincloth; raccoon tail; deerskin pouch with hawk eye design.

GATHERING COQUINAS
This Timucua maiden gathers coquinas, which will be boiled for a tasty broth. Coquinas are brightly colored bivalves that live in the surf-pounded tidal area of beaches. Their shells make up a large part of some shell mounds on Florida's east coast and along the St. Johns River. Oil Painting (20" x 24") - $3,900

Artifacts & Objects: fish bladder ear ornaments; Spanish moss skirt; shell bead bracelet.

CALUSA GIRLS
Following a warm summer rain, two girls prepare for a tribal ceremony on Florida's lower west coast. The older girl is holding a wood figurine which may have had religious significance. The younger girl is playing with her sister's bone hairpin adorned with Hawk feathers. Oil Painting (24" x 30") - $3,200

Artifacts & Objects: shell & wood ear ornament; facial tattoo; shell bead necklace with carved welk shell pendant; olive shell necklace; bone bead necklace; bone hairpin with hawk feathers; pearl bracelet; carved wood figurine.

APALACHEE SHAMAN
Shamans carried out religious rituals on the top of large mounds that dominated Apalachee villages. People of high status were buried in these temple mounds. Shamans were consulted as healers and were highly regarded. Their fields were tilled for them by the people of the village. Oil Painting (11" x 14") - $1,200

Artifacts & Objects: hawk feathers; deerskin straps with feathers; shell beads; face paint; deer robe; shell beads.

SCRUB JAY ARRIVAL

This Ocale maiden walks through a scrub habitat where she is visited by friendly Florida Scrub Jays. Both their worlds encompass only a few miles. Like a tribe, Scrub Jays live in families of up to eight birds and cooperate in food gathering, watching for enemies, and even feeding chicks. This painting shows the close connection Florida Indians had with their environment. Oil Painting (30" x 40") - $6,100

Artifacts & Objects: Face & body tattoos; blue dye around mouth; fish bladder ear decorations; bear skin robe; copper & silver pendant; shell bead necklaces & bracelet; Florida Scrub Jays.