This is an excellent circa 1860-1880’s Sioux Grass Dance dew claw bandolier from the Bruce VanLandingham Sundog collection. The piece consists of a braided Indianan tanned hide thick strand covered in a red ocher mineral pigment dye with hide lacing sewn dew claws (also referred to as dewclaws, hoof claw). The dew claws or dewclaws are carved some with flat, diagonal or scalloped edge all having a pierced hand drilled hole at the top and slightly tapering or flaring out shape ranging from dark brown / black to light tan with some being even more detailed having a scalloped entire outside edge. The necklace also shows a single Badger Claw. These bandolier necklaces are sometimes referred to as Medicine Man’s Necklaces and are associated with the ceremonial Grass Dance of the Lakota Sioux of the 19th Century. For other examples see the Sioux Deer Toe Bandolier in the Hood Museum Dartmouth collection from Clara G. Corser Turner Churchill, the Medicine Man Hoof Pendant, Sioux in the University of Harvard collection, and the 1880 Sioux Grass Dance Bandolier from Skinner’s American Indian & Ethnographic Art 2017 sale which valued the piece at $3,500. Provenance: From the renowned Sundog Fine Art Bozeman, Montana collection and collected by Bruce VanLandingham. Bruce VanLandingham was a pillar in the American Indian collecting community and a respected expert. Along with being an avid collector, Bruce also was the sole owner of Sundog Fine Art Gallery in Bozeman, which was both part museum and gallery. Condition is good and measures approximately 44 inches in circumference with the dew claws hanging approximately 1.5”L to 5”L from the strand. Museum collection number: E1051.