Dig It - 8/5/24
Okay, Fellow Seekers, this one is out of the Stash. Years ago, I collected and sold a bunch of really good Plains Indian beaded knife sheaths. They were fairly plentiful, and you could sort of have your pick, which is always fun.
This sheath is Cheyenne, and the buffalo parfleche that makes up the back is mid 19th century. It does show a fair amount of wear on the sheath, but the beadwork seems a little impractical for everyday utilitarian use.
I know of a photo of the interior of a late-19th trading post in the Dakotas or Nebraska, where a whole wall is covered with beaded knife sheaths, which I assume were for sale to Whites. Were these beaded sheaths made for Native use on fancy occasions, or were they for everyday use? Were they for women or men or both? Again, I do not know, but these are interesting questions. They certainly would have been the ultimate souvenir from the American Frontier. This particular sheath was exhibited at a show on Plains Indian Art at the University of Tennessee. It is for sale! Lonesome OUT!
