Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5
Plains Beaded Buffalo Hide Knife Sheath, Sinew Sewn
Plains, North America
1880
Buffalo hide, glass beads, sinew
Height 17" including drop (43.2 cm)
Provenance: Wisconsin trade
Beaded knife sheaths were worn at the belt as practical equipment and social markers across the Plains, the fully beaded surface reflecting the time and skill invested by the maker and the importance placed on personal adornment within Plains communities. The white ground with polychrome figural and geometric beadwork visible on this sheath is consistent with northern Plains beadwork conventions of the 1880s, a period when the lane stitch and overlay stitch techniques produced dense, durable surfaces well suited to objects subject to daily handling. Wisconsin trade was a significant conduit through which northern and central Plains material entered private collections during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This sheath is fully beaded on buffalo hide in sinew-sewn construction with a white ground and polychrome beadwork including figural and geometric elements in red, blue, and dark tones, with a beaded drop below the main body. The construction and bead palette are consistent with Plains knife sheath production of the 1880s, and the piece retains its original suspension cord at the top. Provenance traces to Wisconsin trade.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Plains, North America
1880
Buffalo hide, glass beads, sinew
Height 17" including drop (43.2 cm)
Provenance: Wisconsin trade
Beaded knife sheaths were worn at the belt as practical equipment and social markers across the Plains, the fully beaded surface reflecting the time and skill invested by the maker and the importance placed on personal adornment within Plains communities. The white ground with polychrome figural and geometric beadwork visible on this sheath is consistent with northern Plains beadwork conventions of the 1880s, a period when the lane stitch and overlay stitch techniques produced dense, durable surfaces well suited to objects subject to daily handling. Wisconsin trade was a significant conduit through which northern and central Plains material entered private collections during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This sheath is fully beaded on buffalo hide in sinew-sewn construction with a white ground and polychrome beadwork including figural and geometric elements in red, blue, and dark tones, with a beaded drop below the main body. The construction and bead palette are consistent with Plains knife sheath production of the 1880s, and the piece retains its original suspension cord at the top. Provenance traces to Wisconsin trade.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.