The Honor of Being Pipe Carrier
$1,800.00
Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
There’s an immediacy in the spare ink portrait tucked beneath the title — a single, confident hand suggesting character with economy rather than detail. The face reads as dignified and weathered: bold, decisive lines form a high forehead, strong cheekbones and a firm mouth, while long hair and layered necklaces give a quiet sense of identity and presence. Because the drawing sits on a broad white page beneath gold lettering, the figure feels both intimate and iconic, like a private study that also stands for a larger history. The artist’s signature and brief inscription nearby add a personal touch, turning the sheet into a modest keepsake rather than a formal reproduction. Together the restrained mark-making, clear silhouette and handwritten note create a feeling of respect and memory — a small, direct tribute that complements the larger narrative suggested by the book’s title.
The Artwork
About Traders Among the Crow – Tribute to the Plains People (Hardcover Collector’s Book)
Traders Among the Crow – Tribute to the Plains People (Hardcover Collector’s Book - Only) - 14″ w x 12″ h, 184 pages, 126 illustrations
Traders Among the Crow – Tribute to the Plains People (Hardcover Collector’s Book) - “Traders Among the Crow†received the Thomas Moran Memorial Award for Exceptional Artistic Merit when it was unveiled at the 2012 Masters of the American West Exhibition. Not only did the painting hang in the Tribute retrospective in the spring, 2012, but its creation is the centerpiece of new documentary on Howard’s life.
The period in this scene is 1848 1850, explains Howard. These free traders have left the large fur companies and are working on their own. They have entered the edge of a Crow camp with many trade goods to entice the inhab-itants to exchange buffalo robes for gun powder, lead, knives, axes, blankets, tobacco and the various other items displayed on the ground. They use a wagon to carry their goods and perhaps for transportation because the man with the glengarry hat and a cane has an injured leg. (Wagons were used on the Santa Fe Trail as early as 1821 so by the late 1840s they could be found in many out of the way places throughout the Plains.) Howard made the group small to give the scene a sense of intimacy. Of course, there is no telling how many people are surrounding the group pictured.
Collector Details
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About the Collection
Howard Terpning is one of the most celebrated Western artists, known for his historically rich and emotionally compelling depictions of Native American life. With a deep respect for Plains Indian culture, his paintings capture narrative storytelling in art, bringing history to life through traditional oil paintings. A member of the Cowboy Artists of America, Terpning’s work is recognized for its historical realism and museum-quality craftsmanship. His fine art prints and originals are highly sought after, making him a defining figure in American West painting.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by Howard Terpning.
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Authenticity & Documentation
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Quite simply, Howard Terpning is one of the most lauded painters of Western art. His awards are so numerous and he is honored with them so often, that to list them would require changing the count every few months. To name three would be to cite the highest prizes awarded to Western art: countless awards from the Cowboy Artists of America, the Hubbard Art Award for Excellence, the National Academy of Western Art s Prix de West and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gene Autry Museum.
Why such praise? Passion, compassion, devotion and respect for his subject matter, extraordinary talent in palette and brushstroke, an exceptional ability to evoke emotion both in his paintings and from those viewing them — all this and more has made Terpning the "Storyteller of the Native American."
Born in Illinois and educated at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the American Academy of Art, he first gained attention from some powerful Time and Newsweek covers. Film fans praised his movie posters for such classics as The Sound of Music, Dr. Zhivago and the re-issue of Gone with the Wind.
But his love of the West and Native American traditions saw his transition to fine art. Terpning was a long-time member of the Cowboy Artists of America, which has presented him with Gold and Silver awards, "Best of Show" awards, and "Best Overall Show by a Single Artist" awards more than two dozen times.
His first book, The Art of Howard Terpning won the Wrangler "Outstanding Art Book" award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Spirit of the Plains People, his second book, was released in 2001 in conjunction with a one-man show at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. A third, Tribute to the Plains People, was released in 2012 to celebrate his retrospective at The Autry National Center in Los Angeles.
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