Skip to main content

Native American Decorative Boxes

NATIVE AMERICAN STYLE

Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.

Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.

The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.

When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.

Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.

6
to
1
6
6
6
6
860
530
489
475
170
150
133
108
90
87
79
75
72
61
46
30
24
18
1
5
1
1
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
2
2
2
2
1
5
5
1
1
1
1
1
Style: Native American
Hand Carved Brown Rectangular Wood Eagle Puzzle Box with Hidden Key Compartment
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A large wooden hand-carved puzzle box with an eagle motif. This large box is created from wood and is rectangular in shape. This box is unique as it has a hidden compartment to hold ...
Category

20th Century American Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

1992 Alaska Native Nations Spakwus Eagle Bentwood Yellow Cedar Box
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1992 Alaska Native Bentwood Box Spakwus Eagle Red and Black Native Nations Yellow Cedar signed appears as David R Moore dated art 92 August 10.75 x 5.38 d x 7.5 h Preowned vintage c...
Category

1990s American Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Bentwood, Cedar

Geometric Southwest Rectangular Ceramic Box with Lid in Pink Blue and Green
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A long rectangular ceramic box in a Southwest or Geometric motif. We've never seen a box like this before. The sides are painted in a deep blue with geometric patterns in bright gree...
Category

20th Century Macanese Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

Navajo Sterling Silver & Turquoise Hand Made Pill Boxes, Set of Three, 1930s
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A set of three hand made sterling silver pill cases or trinket boxes, Navajo, Native American – circa 1930s. The boxes are decorated with ...
Category

1930s American Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Sterling Silver

Navajo Sterling Silver & Turquoise Hinged Box, by Gary Reeves
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Navajo Sterling Silver & Turquoise Hinged Box, by Gary Reeves Gary Reeves (1962-2014) The Navajo sterling silver and turquoise hinged box, crafted by the r...
Category

20th Century American Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Sterling Silver

Native American Parfleche Box, Sioux, 19th Century Painted Hide Plains
Located in Denver, CO
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...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Hide

Related Items
Japanese Storage Box With Hidden Compartments and Crane Motif.
Located in Seattle, WA
This beautiful piece is covered in crane images, even the inside of the drawers have them. Two compartments for drawers, one revealed through a hinge door and the other through slidi...
Category

1970s Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

Set of 3 Japanese Inro Pill Boxes
Located in Munich, DE
These three antique handcrafted inro cases, are a wonderful collection of Japanese Sagemono (hanging object). These inro have several sections stacked ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Bone, Bamboo, Wood

Set of 3 Japanese Inro Pill Boxes
Set of 3 Japanese Inro Pill Boxes
H 2.37 in W 1.58 in D 0.79 in
Signed Sara Sax Rookwood Pottery Lidded Rectangular Box
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Signed Rookwood Pottery box by Sara Sax. This gorgeous ceramic lidded rectangular box was made by Rookwood Pottery of Cincinnati, Ohio, and decorated by renowned artist, Sara Sax. Ro...
Category

1920s American Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Ceramic

Beaded Paiute Native American Indian Handmade Work of Art Moccasins
Located in Tustin, CA
Very collectible, beautifully handmade Northern Paiute or Piute Native American Indian beaded moccasins feature striking contrasting colors of orange, ye...
Category

Early 20th Century American Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Animal Skin, Beads

Rare Large Early Native American Northwest Coast Salish Basket
By Salish Indians
Located in Bradenton, FL
Rare large early Northwest Coast Salish hard burden basket dating from the mid to late 1800's. The basket is finely woven from split cedar bark and root...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Hide

Vintage Burl Wood Small Rectangular Hinged Lidded Box
Located in Amityville, NY
A small vintage rectangular lidded box with multiple species of wood. Primarily in a darker wood with small burls, featuring inlaid triangle shaped corners in a lighter wood tone. Th...
Category

Early 20th Century European Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Brass

Interwar Metal Jewelry Box with Eagle
Located in Chorzów, PL
Metal casket. Very good condition. Dimensions: Height 6.5 cm, base 8 x 8 cm.
Category

1930s Polish Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Metal

Interwar Metal Jewelry Box with Eagle
Interwar Metal Jewelry Box with Eagle
H 2.56 in W 3.15 in D 3.15 in
TRONADOR Rectangular Brown Onyx Stone Box
Located in Buenos Aires, AR
The shape of the inactive Tronador volcano reminded us of the pyramid shaped idea of our boxes that make up this collection. With a rectangular or square base, the box is a reflectio...
Category

2010s Argentine Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Stone, Onyx

TRONADOR Rectangular Brown Onyx Stone Box
TRONADOR Rectangular Brown Onyx Stone Box
H 1.97 in W 9.85 in D 3.15 in
Large Rectangular Brass Box with a Pink Straw Marquetry Lid by Ginger Brown
Located in Bourguebus, FR
This lovely rectangular brass box with rounded corners, is made of brushed brass with a lid covered of straw marquetry. The radial design of the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Brass

Vintage Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Luggage Suitcase Pill Box
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Charming, vintage pill box by Tiffany & Co. Rare and out of production miniature box in the shape of a suitcase. One side bears tags that say TOKYO,...
Category

1950s Philippine Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Sterling Silver

Two Vintage 1960s French Cedar Wood Embossed Crocodile Leather Cigar Boxes
Located in Haarlem, NL
Two very decorative heavy 1960s vintage wood and leather cigar boxes. The boxes are 'coated' outside with leather and pieces of crocodile on top and cork on the bottom (to avoid scra...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Leather, Wood, Cork, Cedar

Pill Box monochrome hand-painted miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Octagonal pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired asu guillochè enamel also on all sides and monochrome hand-painted miniature on the lid. Dimensions c...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel

Previously Available Items
Mid-Century Era West Coast Haida Styled Copper Covered Box with Repouse Decor
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This small hand-crafted decorative or jewelry box is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from Canada, dating to approximately 1960 and done in the West Coast Haida style. The b...
Category

Mid-20th Century Canadian Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Copper

Clarence Wells Signed West Coast Haida Styled Decorative Wooden Box
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This decorative wooden box was designed by Clarence Wells of Canada and dates to approximately 1970 and done in the West Coast Haida style. The box is h...
Category

Late 20th Century Canadian Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

Navajo Inspired Bone Box
Located in New York, NY
Colorful keepsake box with dyed bone panels with hand incised details lined in zebra wood.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Bone

Navajo Inspired Bone Box
Navajo Inspired Bone Box
H 2.75 in W 8 in D 5 in
1920-1930s Navajo Sterling Box
Located in Litchfield, CT
Navajo, American, circa 1920-1930s. Decorated with traditional Concho stamps in a unique motif, this early 20th century Navajo box is fabricated in sterling...
Category

1920s American Vintage Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Sterling Silver

1920-1930s Navajo Sterling Box
1920-1930s Navajo Sterling Box
H 3.38 in W 1.38 in D 0.88 in
Miniature .925 Silver and Turquoise Navajo Trinket Box, Typical Navajo Design
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Miniature .925 Silver Navajo and turquoise trinket box, typical Navajo engraved design on five sides. The box has a turquoise stone mounted in the center on the lid. The box measures...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Silver

Antique Native American Painted Parfleche Box, Plateau, 19th Century
Located in Denver, CO
A rare box form constructed of rawhide and intricately painted in an abstract design with natural pigments and red trade cloth. This was created by a North American Indian living in ...
Category

19th Century American Antique Native American Decorative Boxes

Materials

Hide

Native American decorative boxes for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Native American decorative boxes for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative boxes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, silver and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Native American decorative boxes made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative boxes, popular names associated with this style include Navajo Indian Art, and Sioux Indian Art. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for decorative boxes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $100 and tops out at $5,250 while the average work can sell for $945.

Recently Viewed

View All