Dig It - 12/30/24
Once Again Fellow Seekers, Welcome. Today we are going to look at a Plateau Flat Bag. I would guess this one dates to the late 19th century. The artwork is so wonderful and abstract it really looks modern. Because of the way the elk is represented, I do not believe he is an ordinary elk but a supernatural one, a magical one, a Spirit Elk, if you will. Seekers, this is art of the highest degree. Now the dealer I bought this from showed me a photograph of one of Chief Joseph’s (Nez Perce) wives carrying a similar bag with the elk rendered almost identically. I love the treatment of the horns and the lighter blue used for the ear with the accent of red, making these features pop. The dark blue outline gives the elk an aura, a supernatural luminosity, which is further intensified by the contour beadwork. Now Seeker, this is what puts the “Art” in Native American Art. - Lonesome