Skip to main content

Native American Parfleche Envelope, Crow, 19th Century Abstract Painting

Native American Parfleche Envelope, Crow, 19th Century Abstract Painting

View Similar Items

Plateau Parfleche Envelope, 19th Century Native American Rawhide Art

Plateau Parfleche Envelope, 19th Century Native American Rawhide Art

10 x Native American Indian Territory Handcraft, Limited Edition, Sioux, Navajo

10 x Native American Indian Territory Handcraft, Limited Edition, Sioux, Navajo

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Sauk Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Sauk Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

Native Kiowa 19th Century Pictorial Child's Teepee

Native Kiowa 19th Century Pictorial Child's Teepee

Native American Belt Attributed to the Shinnecock People

Native American Belt Attributed to the Shinnecock People

19th Century Northern Plains Hide Painting

19th Century Northern Plains Hide Painting

18th/19th Century Portuguese Tile Painting of Native Americans

18th/19th Century Portuguese Tile Painting of Native Americans

19th Century Assiniboine Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Assiniboine Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

Video Loading

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 10

Native American Parfleche Envelope, Crow, 19th Century Abstract Painting

$4,850List Price

About the Item

Vintage antique 19th century Native American Parfleche container in an envelope form, finely painted in colors of green, yellow and blue in an abstract geometric design by a Crow artist (North American Plains Indian). Makes a stunning Abstract Painting when hung on the wall or can be placed on a shelf or stand. 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/beadwork motifs. Nevertheless, each tribe contributed a unique element to parfleche design. The painted and carved motifs we see today vividly demonstrate just how highly evolved the Plains artisans’ sense of color palette and spatial composition was. In recent decades, this appreciation for parfleche painted designs has inspired many modern artists.

Dimensions:
Height: 27 in (68.58 cm)Width: 13 in (33.02 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
Style:
Native American (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Hide,Hand-Painted
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1890
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Stuffed/re-shaped by a professional conservator.
Seller Location:
Denver, CO
Reference Number:
Seller: DCG-185731stDibs: LU10046965374

More From This Seller

Plateau Parfleche Envelope, 19th Century Native American Rawhide Art

By Plateau Indians

Located in Denver, CO

This exceptional hand-painted parfleche envelope is a striking example of 19th-century Native American art from the Plateau cultural region. Crafted from rawhide and adorned with bol...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century North American Native American Native American...

Materials

Hide

Plateau Parfleche Envelope, 19th Century Native American Rawhide Art

Plateau Parfleche Envelope, 19th Century Native American Rawhide Art

$7,200

Crow Plains Native American Beaded Leather Cuffs, Bar Design, 20th Century

By Native American Art

Located in Denver, CO

Exceptional pair of late 19th-century Northern Plains Native American wrist cuffs, attributed to the Crow (Apsáalooke) people. Also known as gauntlet cuffs, these pieces are crafted ...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Tin

Crow Plains Native American Beaded Leather Cuffs, Bar Design, 20th Century

Crow Plains Native American Beaded Leather Cuffs, Bar Design, 20th Century

$3,250 / set

Circa 1880 Antique Cheyenne Plains Native American Beaded Leggings, 19th Century

By Native American Art

Located in Denver, CO

This stunning pair of antique 19th-century Cheyenne Plains Tobacco Society beaded leggings, dating back to the 1880s, showcases the artistry and cultur...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Hide, Beads

Circa 1880 Antique Cheyenne Plains Native American Beaded Leggings, 19th Century

Circa 1880 Antique Cheyenne Plains Native American Beaded Leggings, 19th Century

$4,500

19th-Century Kiowa-Apache Beaded Hide Bag, Native American Plains Artifact

By Native American Art

Located in Denver, CO

This rare and beautifully preserved 19th-century Kiowa-Apache hide bag is an exceptional example of Native American Plains artistry and craftsmanship. Expertly hand-stitched from nat...

Category

Antique 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Hide, Beads

19th-Century Kiowa-Apache Beaded Hide Bag, Native American Plains Artifact

19th-Century Kiowa-Apache Beaded Hide Bag, Native American Plains Artifact

$2,650

19th C. Plains Native American Roach Headdress, Deer & Porcupine Hair

By Native American Art

Located in Denver, CO

This exceptional 19th-century Plains Indian roach headdress is a rare and visually striking example of traditional Native American ceremonial regalia. ...

Category

Antique 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Fur

19th C. Plains Native American Roach Headdress, Deer & Porcupine Hair

19th C. Plains Native American Roach Headdress, Deer & Porcupine Hair

$3,750

Antique Crow Beaded Knife Sheath, circa 1870, Native American Plains

By Crow

Located in Denver, CO

This exceptional Crow (Apsáalooke) beaded knife sheath, dating to circa 1870, is an outstanding artifact from the Classic Period of Native American artist...

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Hide

Antique Crow Beaded Knife Sheath, circa 1870, Native American Plains

Antique Crow Beaded Knife Sheath, circa 1870, Native American Plains

$5,800

You May Also Like

10 x Native American Indian Territory Handcraft, Limited Edition, Sioux, Navajo

Located in Berlin, DE

10 x originally designed American Indian Territory Handcraft, limited edition Collection of 10 important, detailed handcrafted Indian relics, artifacts. 1 x crazy horse, limited edition of 100, showcase 107cm x 35.5cm x 10.5cm 2 x Sioux war paint...

Category

20th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Wood

10 x Native American Indian Territory Handcraft, Limited Edition, Sioux, Navajo

10 x Native American Indian Territory Handcraft, Limited Edition, Sioux, Navajo

$19,240 Sale Price / set

20% Off

Free Shipping

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID

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

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Other

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

$6,050

19th Century Native Sauk Beaded Bandolier

Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID

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...

Category

Antique 1890s American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Beads

19th Century Native Sauk Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Sauk Beaded Bandolier

$13,200

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID

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...

Category

Antique 1890s American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Other

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

$6,050

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID

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

Category

Antique 1890s American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Beads

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

19th Century Native Chippewa Beaded Bandolier

$6,050

Native Kiowa 19th Century Pictorial Child's Teepee

By Native American Art

Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID

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...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Other

Native Kiowa 19th Century Pictorial Child's Teepee

Native Kiowa 19th Century Pictorial Child's Teepee

$38,500

Recently Viewed

More Ways To Browse

Navajo Childs Blanket

Plateau Beaded Bag

Randy Lee White

Sioux Beaded Vest

Used Greenland Paddle

Vintage Bolo Knife

Vintage Mukluk Boots

Michael Forde On Sale

Native American Gloves

View All Popular Decorative Art Searches