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Sioux Beaded Buffalo Hide Knife Sheath, Yellow Ground
Sioux, northern Plains
1870s
Buffalo hide, glass beads, sinew, wool
Total length 13 1/4" (33.7 cm); knife length 10 1/4" (26 cm)
Provenance: Private Montana collection
Beaded knife sheaths were worn at the belt as practical equipment and expressions of personal prestige across the Sioux nations of the northern Plains, the fully beaded surface reflecting the high value placed on women's beadwork skill within the community. The yellow ground with polychrome geometric patterning is characteristic of Sioux beadwork production of the 1870s, a period of particularly vigorous decorative output within the tradition. Red wool tassels at the base add a further layer of color and movement consistent with Sioux decorative conventions of the period.
This sheath is fully beaded on buffalo hide with a yellow ground and polychrome geometric design in green, blue, red, and white, sinew-sewn throughout with red wool tassel accents at the base. The original knife with wood handle is retained, presenting the object as a complete and coherent piece as it would have been worn and used. Provenance traces to a private collection in Montana, a region with a long history of serious Plains Indian collecting.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Sioux, northern Plains
1870s
Buffalo hide, glass beads, sinew, wool
Total length 13 1/4" (33.7 cm); knife length 10 1/4" (26 cm)
Provenance: Private Montana collection
Beaded knife sheaths were worn at the belt as practical equipment and expressions of personal prestige across the Sioux nations of the northern Plains, the fully beaded surface reflecting the high value placed on women's beadwork skill within the community. The yellow ground with polychrome geometric patterning is characteristic of Sioux beadwork production of the 1870s, a period of particularly vigorous decorative output within the tradition. Red wool tassels at the base add a further layer of color and movement consistent with Sioux decorative conventions of the period.
This sheath is fully beaded on buffalo hide with a yellow ground and polychrome geometric design in green, blue, red, and white, sinew-sewn throughout with red wool tassel accents at the base. The original knife with wood handle is retained, presenting the object as a complete and coherent piece as it would have been worn and used. Provenance traces to a private collection in Montana, a region with a long history of serious Plains Indian collecting.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.