Rare Matching Pair of Parfleche Envelopes, Cheyenne, 19th Century

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About the Item

This pair of Native American/North American Indian matching painted parfleche envelopes were created by a member of the Cheyenne tribe most likely around 1885. It is extremely rare to find a 19th century matching pair such as this. 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. Provenance: Napoleon Moore, Mohawk Lodge, Clinton, OK. Ron Bork, Chicago, IL. Exhibited: Kansas City Art Institute, November 18 to December 18, 1984. Published: Native American Parfleche: A Tradition of Abstract Painting, Kansas City, Kansas City Art Institute, pl. 18. References: Torrence 1994, pgs. 105-113 for a discussion of Cheyenne. Parfleche characteristics.

Dimensions:
Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Native American (Of the Period)
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1885
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Denver, CO
Reference Number:
Seller: 180641stDibs: LU10046956388

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