Parfleche
Parfleche are rawhide containers used by Native Americans to hold food, personal items, and “medicine”. They are the “Samsonite” of the plains, light weight and durable. While the hide is still wet, women artists applied pigments, usually in bold geometric patterns to decorate the containers.
Because the parfleche designs parallel those used by modern Minimalist artists such as Frank Stella, they have become very sought after by non-Native collectors.
