The lot features a phenomenal, fully top beaded, Crow Native American Indian hide sheath and trade knife dating to the 19th Century. This mid to late 1800’s, pre-1890, sheath shows a thick parfleche Buffalo Bison hide that is completely covered on the front with a traditional Crow, geometric beadwork pattern, showcasing a hourglass and Buffalo track design. The bag is sinew sewn with some small amounts of trade thread and glass trade seed beads of the correct early period in colors of green, chalk white, cobalt, red white hearts, orange, greasy blue, greasy green and faceted metal. The bottom shows a rope beaded, hide wrapped long fringe, which is held in place with a single thread (a thread that could separate in shipping). Some of the beadwork shows loss and unraveling. The back side of the sheath shows a border on each edge and a bare hide with nice wear; the piece also shows graphite pencil drawn collection info, which is unreadable. The inside of the bag shows a hard board or cardboard lining. The sheath is paired with a fine fighting trade knife of the mid-Indian Wars era, showing a nice, wide iron blade with rich true patina. The knife also shows two-piece, solid wood grip scales held into place with studs and square nuts. The piece shows nice, true Indian use and 1800’s age patina. Provenance: From the largest American Indian Antiquities collection in Montana, where it was found to be an authentic pre-1890 example. The sheath is 17 inches long, with bottom fringe being 3.5 inches wide. The knife is 12 inches long with a 7.5 inch long blade.