Dave McGary

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Iron Bear (side)
Masterwork 42"h Maquette 28 "h
Bronze with Patina and Paint


Iron Bear received his name at the Battle of 29 Crows where he charged into the fray and fought without being wounded. True to his name, Iron Bear wears a grizzly bear headdress adorned with three hawk feathers on each side, said to embellish wisdom and sight. A String of bear claws encircles his neck. On his face, half black and half crimson war paint divides it vertically, giving Iron Bear a particularly fierce appearance. Iron Bear’s bow-lance is decorated with a scalp lock and eagle feathers given for exceptional acts of bravery in battle. The bow-lance was made from a straight well-balanced stick shaped to be flat on the back and round in front. Sage grass was bound around the grip. When not in use, the bow-lance might be put in a buckskin bag, hung in a tree or hidden somewhere known only to the owner. If taken into battle, it was always used as a lance rather than a bow.