Plateau Indians Decorative Objects

This fine tightly woven Pima American Indian basket in unusual geometric pattern is in fine condition. The scale is so wonderful with a nice aged patina.

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...

This fine and very early Pima American Indian hand woven basket is in fine as found condition. This wonderful basket has a nice aged patina and has come from a private American India...

This large hand-crafted basket is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from Canada and date to approximately 1970 and done in the period indigenous Canadian...

Early 20th century Native American Apache Olla in very good condition. This basket dates from the turn of the century and was made for self-use. A very tight example with a stunning ...

American Indian folk art Native American basket that is hand woven and coiled. It has been vegetable dyed and the basket lid is removable. The interior rein...

Antique Iroquois hand woven splint lidded storage basket with big ring handles at both sides and contrasting natural and black stained design pat...

Antique Native American Apache woven basket. Handcrafted and made from all natural fibers including Devil's claw, willow, and yucca root.

Dynamic vintage Native American black Santa Clara Pueblo pot by Frances M Chavarria. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. We have found no chips, cracks, or chiggers. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1930-1990. Simple, Sophisticated, and Absolutely Stunning!!! Just a few words to describe this GORGEOUS Native American pot by Frances Chavarria one of the famous Santa Clara Pueblo Potters. It has a lovely urn shape frame bearing a grooved rim around the top and intricately carved designs similar to lightning bolts vertically on the sides of the body. It is hand made with elite pottery skills by Frances Chavarria and special techniques distinctive to Santa Clara Pueblo Pottery...

Native American pictorial pima basket with geometric figural motif, having four figures, circa. 1920s. Made of bear grass, Devil's claw and willow. Excellent condition.

A stunning early 20th century Native American Apache tray basket constructed from hand-woven willow and devil's claw with a slightly darker willow band aro...

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...