Antique Native American Tableta 'Headdress', Hopi Pueblo, 19th Century

Antique 19th century Native American (Plains Indian) roach headdress made with dyed deer hair and porcupine guard hair on a u-shaped braided cloth with...

Hopi HeHeya Clown carrying a watermelon and backpack from the 1st quarter of the 20th century. Made of wood with pigments, dimensions measure 11 ½ x 3 ½ x 3 ¾ inches. The Heheya K...

Constructed of native tanned hide with trade beads and horse hair, this doll is wearing a traditional period dress and moccasins. A nomadic tribe, the Sioux territory included parts...

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...

Antique Native American Zuni blanket with a classic design consisting of compound bands in a Moki style pattern. Alternating brown and indigo bands are oc...

Vintage Southwestern Native American Pueblo Old Pawn cuff bracelet, circa 1915. Stamped ingot silver with a turquoise cabochon. The inner bracelet circumference measures approximatel...

Chippewa fully beaded bandolier bag with full size pocket, floral beading on intermediate panel and delicate edge beading and faceted bead drops. ...

Chippewa bandolier bag with a pocket. Unique outer edging around center bag with bugle beads, and white and red bugle beads ending in white tuffs at bottom. Matching shoulder straps having bugle beads and green fringe at divide. Nice and visual vintage piece of Native American...

Genuine geometric Native American Sauk people bandolier bag with loom beaded geometric panels. Blue and black yarn tuffs. Minor deterioration on red salvage, not distracting. Great v...

Extra-large Chippewa beaded bandolier bag with full pocket. Black bead drops ending in blue yarn. Bright and visual vintage piece of Native Americ...

Child's teepee depicting highly graphic battle scene painted on brain tanned deer skin. This piece was acquired from Wilma Silvey, age 89, in 2005, white woman, was handed down through her husband's family, Joseph Silvey (Silverfish). His father was "Long Hair Hanging" (Kiowa Comanche) and his mother...

20th century North West Coast American Indian signed Tribal Crying Mask George Hunt Jr. Kwakiutl, British Columbia Cedar, horse hair, leather, paint ...