This is an extraordinary 19th-century Nez Perce of the Transmontane Beaded Otter Bowcase and Quiver from the ex- Museum of Native American Culture MONAC (formerly Pacific Northwest Indian Center PNIC); and Northern Montana collections. This is truly a stunning and important Plateau artifact, the beaded Otter Fur bowcase and quiver set. The piece exhibits Indian tanned Otter hide with fur along with old red stroud trade clothe and muslin trade clothe being old thread and sinew sewn with intricate and complex geometric beadwork and drops of otter fur. The beadwork shows quite a bit of sinew-sewn showing classic early Plateau region beadwork documented amongst the Nez Perce (Niimíipuu) and Crow (Apsáalooke) of Northern Montana, Washington and Idaho territories. The beads are all old 1800’s period correct glass trade seed and petit seed beads showing fine geometric designs in colors of greasy yellow, Cheyenne pink white hearts, cobalt, greasy light blue, chalk white, and semi-transparent dark green. The beadwork is down the entire otter drops off the bowcase and quiver openings, framing the entire opening, in bands across the wide shoulder strap, completely covering the bowcase and quiver end caps, along the shoulder strap in two large fully covered drops and at the bottom of each otter drop section with a fully beaded cylinder. The shoulder strap is quite wide, typical of these early exquite examples, with an inlaid fully Otter Indian hide with fur showing old red stroud trade clothe and old muslin trade clothe with diagonal bands of chalk white and semi-transparent dark green radiating across the entire surface. The shoulder strap also shows many Indian hide tied old brass / copper rosette buttons with old yellow, red, and purple trade ribbons (ten of these drops). The shoulder strap goes over the bowcase and quiver tapering to a tail like design, mimicking the inlaid Otter fur attached to it with Indian tanned hide tied thick Indian hide and Old red stroud clothe end cap massive drops covered in the matching beadwork (one on each sides) with the ends having long drops of Otter Indian hide fringe s. The same Otter Indian hide fur fringe drops are at the bowcase and quiver ends. Provenance: From the ex-Museum of Native American Cultures MONAC Spokane, Washington; originally founded as the Pacific Northwest Indian Center PNIC in the mid-1900’s with close proximity to the Expo ’74 location and closely tied to the Expo’s interest in Native aesthetics. Later in 1976 the name was changed to MONAC. Later it was closed in 1991 an many of the collections transferred to the Cheney Cowles Museum and later acquired by Gonzaga University. Was acquired by the Northern Montana fine beadwork collection in 1981, where it was on display at the Museum in Spokane, Washington. Bowcase-quivers are perhaps the most elaborate objects decorated in the Transmontane style of beading. Though a practical container for a bow and arrows, the heavily beaded flaps and tabs combined with the richness of the otter fur and trade cloth make these objects true works of art. Worn on dress occasions, such a quiver displayed the wealth and prestige of the owner and the skill of the beadworker. These quivers were made primarily by the Nez Perce people and their neighbors on the Plateau. Made of at least three otterskins, this bowcase-quiver is constructed in the classic fashion (Holm 1981). Two otter skins are each sewn into a tube and used for the bowcase and quiver. The tails of the otter skins form the solidly beaded flaps. A third otter skin is split in half lengthwise and the halves are sewn end-to-end to form the strap (bandoleer). Where the bowcase and quiver are attached to the strap, decorative beaded tabs are added. The fur trimmed from the edges of the otter skins is cut into strips and used for the fringe at the bottoms of the quiver and bowcase and at the ends of the tabs on the straps. As with many of the Transmontane beaded objects, otter skin quivers have often been associated with the Crow people of Montana. However, most documentary evidence indicates that these quivers were used extensively by the Nez Perce people and their Plateau neighbors. Interestingly, an otter skin quiver flap (Burke Museum #70) was collected by Rev. Myron Eells from Joseph Kapomen at Quinault, further evidence of the active Native trade networks within what is now Washington State (Wright 1991: 62). This example is very similar to the Crow / Nez Perce Otter Bowcase and Quiver set offered by Cowan’s in 2018 for $50,000 to $60,000 and the Nez Perce Otter Bowcase and Quiver by Freeman’s Hindman in September 2023 sold for $28,350; and the High Noon Westen Americana bow and quiver cases sold in January 2011 for $36,000. This example is incredibly well kept with soft supple hides, some slight staining to the clothe, but very well kept with little to no bead loss and is a historic example being formerly from the Museum of Nation American Culture collection. Measures overall 66-inches by 42-inches.