This is an outstanding beaded sheath and trade knife dating to circa 1870 from the Hunkpapa Sioux Native American Indians and is from the Bruce VanLandingham Sundog collection. The sheath is constructed of parfleche rawhide and is sewn with parfleche rawhide lacing with an Indian tanned braided belt tie at the top. The front of the sheath is covered in period correct 19th Century glass trade seed cen beads in a traditional Sioux geometric pattern with colors of medium blue, cobalt, red white heart, semi-transparent red and chalk white. At the center of the beadwork is a strip of Indian tanned hide fringes holding rolled tin jingle dangle cones. The beadwork is all sinew sewn with slight bead loss at the center below the jingle cones. The back of the sheath has honest wear and patina from true Indian use. The Indian Wars period set also shows a petit beaded top edge and is paired with the original knife. The trade knife shows a standard bowie like clip point blade with worn metal having a nice dark to grey color and has a two piece wood coffin like beveled edge handle set with pins, a traditional trade knife pattern of the era. Provenance: From the renowned Sundog Fine Art Bozeman, Montana collection 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 was also the sole owner of Sundog Fine Art Gallery in Bozeman, which was both part museum and gallery, this piece is directly from the collection. The set is in good overall condition with slight bead loss, a missing jingle cone, some stiffening to the hide and one grip scale being slightly loose but still in place. Overall well preserved for its very early age. Museum collection number E1043.