Yakima, Columbia Plateau
Circa 1920
Rawhide with painted geometric decoration
Length 20 in. (50.8 cm), diameter 5 in. (12.7 cm), fringe 48 in. (121.9 cm)
Provenance: Chief Alex Saluskin, thence by descent; John Molloy, New York; Salveson Collection, Ohio; Private St. Louis Collection; Bonhams Native American Art, Los Angeles, December 12, 2023; Salveson Collection, Ohio
Parfleche cylinders of this type were made by Plateau peoples to store and protect clothing, regalia, and personal belongings, typically suspended from a horse or lodge pole by their long fringe. This pair is attributed by provenance to Chief Alex Saluskin, a prominent Yakima leader, and descends directly through his line — an origin that gives the objects both cultural specificity and historical significance. The painted geometric decoration follows the bilateral symmetry and bold color use characteristic of Columbia Plateau rawhide painting.
The fringe, measuring 48 inches, is intact and of exceptional length, indicating the cylinders were preserved with care through multiple collections. Passage through John Molloy's New York gallery and two appearances in the Salveson Collection, Ohio, alongside a Bonhams auction record, provides an unusually well-documented ownership history for objects of this type. The combination of named Indigenous provenance, auction documentation, and intact condition makes this pair a strong example for serious collectors of Plateau material culture.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Yakima, Columbia Plateau
Circa 1920
Rawhide with painted geometric decoration
Length 20 in. (50.8 cm), diameter 5 in. (12.7 cm), fringe 48 in. (121.9 cm)
Provenance: Chief Alex Saluskin, thence by descent; John Molloy, New York; Salveson Collection, Ohio; Private St. Louis Collection; Bonhams Native American Art, Los Angeles, December 12, 2023; Salveson Collection, Ohio
Parfleche cylinders of this type were made by Plateau peoples to store and protect clothing, regalia, and personal belongings, typically suspended from a horse or lodge pole by their long fringe. This pair is attributed by provenance to Chief Alex Saluskin, a prominent Yakima leader, and descends directly through his line — an origin that gives the objects both cultural specificity and historical significance. The painted geometric decoration follows the bilateral symmetry and bold color use characteristic of Columbia Plateau rawhide painting.
The fringe, measuring 48 inches, is intact and of exceptional length, indicating the cylinders were preserved with care through multiple collections. Passage through John Molloy's New York gallery and two appearances in the Salveson Collection, Ohio, alongside a Bonhams auction record, provides an unusually well-documented ownership history for objects of this type. The combination of named Indigenous provenance, auction documentation, and intact condition makes this pair a strong example for serious collectors of Plateau material culture.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
