Lakota Sioux Fully Beaded Buffalo Hide Child's Vest

Lakota Sioux, northern Plains

1880s

Buffalo hide, glass beads, muslin lining, sinew

Length including fringe 13 1/2" (34.3 cm); width 14" (35.6 cm)

Provenance: Private Montana collection

Beaded children's vests were produced by Lakota women as prestige garments for young children, the fully beaded surface indicating the same level of investment and skill as adult ceremonial clothing and reflecting the importance placed on presenting children in garments that expressed family standing and the maker's decorative accomplishment. The white ground with polychrome geometric and tipi motifs is consistent with Lakota beadwork conventions of the 1880s, a period when the tradition was at its most technically developed before reservation-era disruptions curtailed large-scale beadwork production. The muslin lining, incorporating a trade material into a traditionally constructed garment, reflects the hybrid material practices of the late 19th century reservation period.

This vest is fully beaded on buffalo hide with a white ground and polychrome geometric patterning including tipi and abstract motifs in red, blue, and dark tones, sinew-sewn throughout with a red bead border at the edges and fringe at the hem. The muslin lining is intact and the construction is consistent throughout, the beadwork dense and even across both front panels. Provenance traces to a private collection in Montana.

We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.