Dig It - 7/14/22
Sometimes, small things can have a big impact. Take for example this little pouch. It is probably Eastern or Plains Apache, meaning the Mescalero or Lipan subgroups of the Apache. The foundation of the pouch appears to be commercially tanned buffalo hide which dates the piece to the 1860s or 1870s, when live buffalo still roamed the southern plains.
To me what gives this piece that extra special touch and that makes it “Good Art” is its quirkiness. I love the way the design elements are warped and stretched. The central design of black beads bordered by green beads with a central white rectangle is something I have never seen before. As the Old Timers use to say, “This piece has some sand, some grit.”
Great art does not have to be Big or Expensive. Seek out!