Dig It - 2/15/24
Hello Again Fellow Seekers. Thank you for inviting me into your computer. It is a little cramped in here and I’m a little claustrophobic, but I will try and keep it together.
Today, we are going to look at a Northern Plains beaded knife sheath. Now there are a lot of beaded knife sheaths out there. I remember a late 19th century photo of the inside of a trading post in Lakota country and the wall is full of maybe 30 or 50 of them, all probably made for sale. The beaded Indian knife sheath had to have been one of the ultimate souvenirs to bring back from a trip to the Wild West.
This one was probably not made as a souvenir as it shows signs of wear from use and has someone’s initials scratched into it. What attracted old Lonesome to this sheath were the striking colors and design of the beadwork. You have this amazing balance of static and tension in the design at the throat of the the sheath and then a wild energetic lightning streak zig-zagging down the outer edge of the sheath. This is what makes Art, at least to me. So Fellow Seekers, keep your eyes on the horizon and your powder dry. -Lonesome