The lot features a fantastic beaded hide dag knife sheath from the Otoe Indians dating to circa 1870-1880’s. The piece consist of Indian tanned soft hide in a traditional tapering dag fighting knife pattern covered on the front with iconic whimsical floral beadwork in traditional Otoe design done in all period correct 19th Century glass trade seed beads. The beadwork shows a chalk white background with floral pattern in greasy pea green, periwinkle, translucent burgundy, cobalt, navy blue, semi-transparent teal blue, greasy blue, semi-transparent red, greasy pink, semi-transparent dark green (and a few greasy white). Some fantastic and scarce bead colors with very good beadwork. Dag knife sheaths are increasingly rare and would hold the iconic dag knives which would show a double edge blade with median ridge running down the center, these sheaths would be worn around the neck or at the ankle for easy access during battle (dag knives, unlike trade knives, where exclusively used by warriors for killing. The body shows a tapering tanned hide with buckskin Indian tanned hand cut fringes and the entire piece appears to be mostly trade thread sewn. Provenance: Found to be an authentic sheath from the Otoe Indians dating to the 19th Century by the experts at Hindman and Cowan’s. Condition. The front shows fantastic beadwork with little to no bead loss, soft supple hides (having a collector added board on the inside supporting the pieces shape for display, and can be removed), the fringes overall good with some slight loss, overall well kept. Measures overall 12.75”L by 3”W.