Lot 679

Ceremonial Hairpipe Bone Breastplate, ca. 20th C

Estimate: $400 - $800

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
This is an outstanding, authentic, Ceremonial Hairpipe Bone Breastplate with mirror dating to the late 20th Century from the Sioux or Crow (Apsáalooke) Native American Indians of the Northern Plains. The piece shows eighty-two bone hairpipe (hair pipe) long early beads with a natural bone, creamy white colour. The piece is constructed with four thick sections of leather tied together with sinew ties, further accented by round "Cornaline D'Allepo" or "Hudson's Bay" beads (white heart beads), Czech glass Fire polished beads, Crow beads as well as seed beads. The outer fringe are leather thong strips, blue shoe laces are added on both the front and rear sides as neck and arm straps. At the top center of the breastplate is a round Abalone gorget with hairpipe, Fire polished and Crow beads flowing down to weasel tails. At the mid-center of the breastplate is a round signal mirror set in a thin metal backing, horsehair attached below it. Originally produced as advertising mirrors, metal backed mirrors were quickly adopted for use as decorative additions to warbonnets, otter breastplates and bustles, as well as for signaling mirrors. Truly a wonderful representation of the 1800’s Chief’s or Warrior’s men’s breastplate from the Indian Wars era. Measures 26"L x 13"W, fringe adds 3" on each side for a total width of 19".

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