This uncommon vintage 1930s Valencia orange crate label depicts a Native American warrior in ceremonial attire complete with jewelry and a feather headdress. He stands near a small group of Native Americans dancing around an outdoor fire by a teepee under a night sky. A hill with trees is in the distance under a cloud-obscured full moon. The word “Warrior” is displayed with large custom lettering across the top. The wrapped orange Sunkist logo is prominently displayed. Native Americans and scenes of Native American life were often portrayed in American art during the 1800s. Charles Bird King, George Catlin, and Karl Bodmer painted numerous realistic portraits of Native Americans in the first half of the century, which were exhibited and published in book form. Later in the century, a more stereotyped image developed, made famous by the popularity of dime novels with garish cover illustrations, and by the traveling Wild West shows of Buffalo Bill Cody. Publicity accompanying these shows usually depicted Plains Native Americans, often on horseback, wearing feathered war bonnets, beads, and colorful blankets. These stylized representations, on millions of posters and advertisements promoting the Buffalo Bill shows, served as the model for most Native Americans depicted on orange box labels. While the scenes and costumes were not especially true to life, the treatment was usually dignified, showing Native Americans in scenes ranging from mountain lakes to inhospitable deserts. The portrayal on this label is somewhat dignified, somewhat Hollywood. The printer of this label, Carton Label Corporation of Los Angeles and San Francisco, was active from 1927 through 1955. This label is vintage – not a copy and is in mint / pristine condition.
