North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Native & Western: Fine Beadwork, Navajo Rugs & Cowboy Collection

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 11:00AM EDT
  2026-10-10 11:00:00 2026-10-10 11:00:00 America/New_York North American Auction Company North American Auction Company : Native & Western: Fine Beadwork, Navajo Rugs & Cowboy Collection https://live.naabid.com/auctions/north-american-auction/native-western-fine-beadwork-navajo-rugs-cowboy-collection-25189
Join North American Auction Company on October 10th for our Native & Western: Fine Beadwork, Navajo Rugs & Cowboy Collection Auction. The collection includes a fine early Native American Beadwork collection, early and historic Native American Weapons, fine Western Firearms, Western Art, Navajo Jewelry, Cowboy Parade Saddles and more. Visit Live.Naabid.com
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Lot 251

18th-19th C. Great Lakes Puzzle Bag & Powder Horn

Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000
Starting Bid
$250

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
The lot features a late-18th century to early-19th century polychrome painted Indian hide puzzle pouch / puzzle bag with tacked scrimshaw engraved powder horn from the Great Lakes Woodlands tribes. The bag is comprised of Indian tanned hide with a split thong top, an attribute that ingeniously extended from the top to form a puzzle-lock that kept the bag closed. The bags were thought to have been influenced by the French as many bags were documented near missions where the French first established. Sometimes these pouches are referred to as puzzle tobacco bags or puzzle bags. The pouch also exhibits old green trade clothe stroudedging and the front shows a polychrome mineral pigment painted diamond pattern in red and green, a truly ealry and nice example. The powder horn shows a late-1700's to early 1800 example showing a carved turned wood cap with copper worked ring hook. This shows a steer horn with deep, rich dark yellow coloring from honest age and use with a band of old 1800's solid brass square shank fur era trade tacks. The powder horn shows scrimshaw engraving / carvings including L. L. DAY name. Truly a unique Great Lakes Woodlands's powder horn with bag with early American age. Northeast / Great Lakes and Woodlands tribes include the Mohawk, Seneca, Fox, Potawatomi, Wabanaki and Metis. Has an Indian tanned strap. Measures overall when hanging 18-inches long. The horn is about 9.25-inches long across. Native American pouches / shot pouches with powder horn's are exceedingly rare see the Yankton Sioux example sold by Cowan's in 2022 for $54,825, the Plains Pony Beaded Pouch and Powder Horn sold by Hindman Freeman's in September 2025 for $17,290 and the Metis Cree example sold by Cowan's in 2021 for $11,610 (all shown w/ bp) with this being an earlier example.

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