19th-century Small Book-Hide

Large Swedish Book-Hide late 18th century The craftsmanship is truly amazing, made by a master carver in pine wood. Was originally painted in black color but with time and use the ...

A rare stone chest shaped like a book, crafted circa 1840-1870 Made of solid carved Swedish limestone (Öland) with a top nobb in alabaster. The craftsmanship of this heavy piece is...

Large Swedish Candlestick, early 19th century Parts from yarn swifters, called "nyst krona," with brass candlestick holders from the same period. Makes me...

Large Swedish Candlestick, early 19th century Parts from yarn swifters, called "nyst krona," with brass candlestick holders from the same period. Makes me...

Large Swedish Candlestick, early 19th century Parts from yarn swifters, called "nyst krona," with brass candlestick holders from the same period. Makes me...

Swedish Candlestick Holder mid-19th century Crafted with iron and oak wood. Height: 29 cm/11.4 inch Diameter: 8 cm/3.1 inch

Small faux book box of well painted tole to look like the leather with the tooling work of a fine book with gilt page edges. English, late 19th century. ...

Regency rosewood book stand An early 19th century Regency rosewood double sided table book stand. The top surface is rosewood that is cross b...

Book shaped box, Asta, metal, 19th century. Small antler box worked in book form and decorated with a simple geometric composition enhanced with polych...

Antique Sioux (Native American/Plains Indian) Parfleche in a box form constructed of rawhide and intricately painted in an abstract design with hourglass and geometric motifs with natural pigments and red trade cloth. At the time this was created, the Sioux Indians were nomadic and are associated with vast areas of the Great Plains of the United States including present-day North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana. Authenticity is guaranteed. Box is in very good condition - please contact us for a detailed condition report. Parfleches are rawhide containers which were fundamental to the Plains way of life. Functioning essentially as protective travelling suitcases, they enabled the nomadic tribes to effectively pursue buffalo herds and migrate between seasonal camps. So critical were they to a nomadic existence that over 40 tribes are known to have historically produced parfleches. Collectively, these tribes inhabited an area which encompassed the entirety of the Plains, as well as the parts of the Southwest, the Transmontane and Western Plateau regions. Parfleches were, out of necessity, robust and versatile objects. They were designed to carry and protect within them anything from medicinal bundles to seasonal clothing or food. In fact, it was because of the containers’ robusticity and variety that parfleches earned their name in the Anglo world. Derived from parer (to parry or turn aside) and fleche (arrow), the word parfleche was coined by 17th century French Canadian voyageurs and used to describe indigenous objects made from rawhide. Despite their common utilitarian function, parfleches served as one of the major mediums through which Plains Indian tribes could develop their long-standing tradition of painting. In fact, it is in large part due to the parfleche that tribal style emerged. Even though parfleche painting developed simultaneously with beading and weaving, painting as an artistic tradition held particular importance in tribal culture. Believed to have evolved from tattooing, it had always been used as a conduit through which tribal and individual identity could be expressed. As such, many tribeswomen were deeply committed, some even religiously, to decorating their parfleche either with incised or painted motifs that were significant to them and/or the tribe. For some tribes, such as the Cheyenne, the decorative processes which surrounded parfleche production were sacred. For others, it seems that their parfleche designs shared an interesting artistic dialogue with their beadwork, indicating a more casual exchange of design motifs. This particular relationship can be seen in Crow parfleche...

A 19th century small Indian dowry box on wheels with fitted compartments. The door at the top that slides to the side. The fitted interior has a small...

White lidded box standing on small spherical feet with trapezoidal body and lid with a groove. The fittings are silver plated. Key available. Interior veneered in cherry.