Exceptional CDV-size tintype featuring an Oglala Lakota (Sioux) man seated in a studio setting, dressed in full regalia. He wears a traditional shirt adorned with fur and shell or bone decorations, a beaded necklace, and a prominent bone breastplate—an iconic element of Plains warrior dress, made from long tubular beads often worn for both protection and ceremonial display. His leggings and moccasins are decorated with cloth stripes. He sits with quiet authority, his hands resting on his knees in a composed yet powerful pose.

A painted backdrop, unusual for its inclusion of a pagoda-like architectural structure, adds a surreal or theatrical quality to the scene—possibly suggesting a commercial or itinerant studio setting, where Native sitters were often staged against exotic or incongruous backgrounds. Behind the subject is a fur or pelt, draped over the chair, adding another layer of material culture to the image.

The clarity and tonal range of the tintype are excellent, with strong contrast that accentuates the sitter’s expression, beadwork, and textile detail. Few 19th-century tintypes of Native subjects offer this level of visual presence, costume richness, and cultural authenticity. A powerful and uncommon image with tremendous visual and ethnographic value, likely dating from the 1870s–1880s.