Lot 127

Sioux Beaded and Quilled Tobacco Bag 19th C.

Estimate: $3,500 - $5,500

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 excellent and scarce late-19th Century beaded and quilled hide tobacco pouch / pipe bag from the Sioux Native American Indians. The bag features an Indian brain-tanned buckskin hide with beautiful beaded geometric traditional pattern which is shown on both sides, up both edges and at the top rim of the bag. The beadwork is all 1800’s period correct glass trade seed cen beads in colors of red white hearts, greasy yellow, sky padre light blue, royal blue, medium green and chalk white. The original hide belt tie strap is still shown at the top and there is a bunch of porcupine-quilled fancy drops, thee fringes total, with a natural pigment red dye ending in rolled tin jingle dangle cones and plume feathers with a red coloring as well. The beadwork and bag is sewn with sinew, a true attribute to its early age. Below the major beaded section on the hide shows flat strips of parfleche which have been completely wrapped in porcupine quillwork in a geometric fashion with natural pigment dyes of red and purple along with natural cream in a double cross pattern. At the base of the quilled section shows a fine section of Indian tanned hide frilly artful fringe being slightly stiff from age and a few being broken off from age. The bag has a nice slightly yellow ocher appearance and overall supple hide with slight stiffening from age, the same as the fringe which is slightly stiffer, but still considered supple for their early age. The bag is considered to be fairly rare due to its unusual size being considered more of a tobacco pouch but in the design of a large pipe bag making this truly scarce and desirable. This piece truly embodies the term American Indian Art. Measures overall 22 inches long with an additional 6 inches of length from the belt strap, also 3.5 inches wide.