Berthold Nebel (1889-1964)

Berthold Nebel (1889-1964). Bronze Doors with scenes of Native American Life, 1928-1931. , The bronze doors by the American sculptor Berthold Nebel were commissioned in 1928 by Archer Milton Huntington, founder of The Hispanic Society of America, for the entrance of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. Cast in 1931, the doors were made in panels on the front and back, depicting individual scenes of Native American life. The themes addressed by the images include: the Council, Travel, Bison Hunt, Women of the Prairie, Home Life, Indian Fishermen, Religion, and Returning from the Hunt. When the National Museum of the American Indian relocated in 1994, the building was acquired by the Hispanic Society in 1996 and renamed the East Building. For additional information please visit hispanicsociety.org., The restoration of the Nebel doors, completed in 2017, was made possible by a generous grant from American Express.