North American Auction Company
Live Auction

Fine Montana Collector Sale - April 2023

Sat, Apr 22, 2023 11:00AM EDT
Lot 88

Crow Beaded & Fringed Hide Scout Jacket c. 1890-

Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
The lot features a wonderful hide beaded scout frontier men’s scout jacket from the Crow Native American Indians dating to the late 19th to early 20th Century. The piece shows a tanned hide construction with typical Old West frontier scout jacket pattern showing a traditional collar, “V” opening with hide ties on the front, two exposed pockets on the front with flaps, fringes at the pockets / down the arms / at the bottom / across the middle of the back / and bordering the large collar. The collar has a large size with frontier influence, common among scout jackets, along with a scalloped edge framing the “V” opening. The pockets on the front have a unique hide knob holding the flap shut. The front of the jacket shows beadwork on the pockets and beadwork along the back shoulder sections. The beadwork is a whimsical floral pattern, as seen on other documented early Crow scout jackets. The beads are all glass trade seed beads showing colors of greasy blue, orange, chalk white, black, greasy green, greasy medium blue, cobalt, red and faceted iridescent. Truly an iconic Old West design as worn by many an Old Wild West Show performer such as Buffalo Bill Cody. Provenance: From a Billings, Montana collection and from the ex-collection of noted Old West and American Indian collector Jim Aplan of Piedmont, South Dakota and acquired from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the late 1900’s. Measures 69.5”L from cuff to cuff, 32”H from the back of the collar to end of the fringes, 19”W from shoulder to shoulder, 20”W at the chest (all measurements taken when the jacket is laid flat).