A belt pouch constructed out of brain-tanned leather, beaded on the recto side with seed beads. The flap - a long tapering piece of hide - is fully beaded and consists of a blue triangle-diamond-triangle motif that has been bordered in black. The perimeter of the bag is edge beaded with green/white/pink pony beads, as are attached drops. Secure to the back of the pouch with sinew is a long belt strap.

19" long (incl. drops) and 6" wide

#50945

A pair of hard-soled moccasins with sinew-sewn beaded uppers. The vamps are comprised of two rows of three stacked pink downward facing triangles bordered in crimson and white. The motif sits on a pony trader blue field. The opening of the moccasins are ornamented with hide cuffs which are wrapped in commercial cloth and beaded. The inside cuffs have stepped triangles; the other cuffs have abstracted "houses".

11.5" long (each)

Published: Thomas Cleary, "Moccasins", Native Arts Magazine (Aug/Sept. 2024): 3.

#50539

A sheath constructed out of buffalo rawhide. The liner is pained with red pigment and decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads along the outer perimeter and the upper hemisphere. The upper portion is backed on native tanned buffalo hide. The panel is beaded, consisting of two upside-down blue triangles trimmed in red which sit on a yellow background. The design is trimmed with white lanes and further accented with black and white pony beads. The lower hemisphere is beaded along the outer edge, with blue/red/navy bars on a white lane, along with hole punctures where brass tacks likely resided.

11” tall and 4” wide (sheath)

Ex Dennis Lessard, ND; ex Walter Banko, CANADA; ex H. Malcolm Grimmer, NM; to Peter Cleary, NM (Aug 2004- Feb 2021); to Norm Exton, WA (June 2021- May 2023); to Thomas Cleary, NM (May 2023); to private collection.

Published: Walter Banko, "Mandan, c. 1850" American Indian Art Magazine Vol 7. No. 1 (1981): 22; Thomas Cleary, BraveArt: The Emergence of Tribal Style in Plains Indian Art (Groton, MA: The Groton School, 2005), p. 25, 39; Thomas Cleary, "Knife Sheath and Knife" Summer 2021 (Santa Fe, NM: Thomas Cleary LLC, 2021), p. 4-5.

#50943

A stripe composed of several pieces of hide which are stitched onto a wool backing and decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads. The strip consists of four rosettes which are connected by matching rectangles. The rosettes consist of blue centers, trimmed in red, surrounded by green concentric semi circles, and anchored at opposing ends by inward-pointing blue triangles. The rectangles consist of blue hourglasses which are bisected by a pink/green barber pole motif. The hourglass is surrounded by yellow.

70" long and 6.5" wide

Ex Pete Schramm, IL

#50941

A sheath made with brain-tanned hide, decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads. The sheath has a tapered form with a lozenge-shaped tail. The tail, along with the upper and lower sections of the sheath are beaded. The main portion of the sheath has matching beaded blocks in which a stepped green diamond is bordered in pink and navy. The shape sits on a white ground and is flanked on the edges by a single lane in which sequential pink diagonal lines sit on a blue field. The tail has a cross-box-cross motif executed in red. The box is yellow. The motif is surrounded by a white field and a similar border as above. Accompanying the sheath is a dag knife with a forged steel blade and a full tang. The blade is stamped with “Win Hill & Co, York Cast Steel”. The blade is secured with wood handles which are secured by brass rivets.

20” long and 4.25” wide (sheath); 14.25" long and 2.5" wide (knife); accompanying the sheath is a custom stand

Ex Tommy Haas, UT (sheath); ex Floyd Ritter, MO (knife)

Published: Jason Baldwin, Early Knives & Beaded Sheaths of the American Frontier (West Olive, MI: Early American Artistry – Trading Company, 1997), p. 34.

#50923 and 50935

A pouch constructed out several pieces of native tanned hide, the most prominent of which is an elongated tapering piece which is beaded on the recto. The tapering flap is decorated with folded long fringe on either side and decorated with sinew-sewn micro beads. The design consists of a yellow center line (two shades) which is flanked on either side by lanes in which a yellow lane is filled by a column of navy triangles. This motif is repeated along the edges of the flap. Attached to the back of the pouch is a long undecorated strap.

21” long and 5” wide (pouch); 34” long and 1.5” wide (strap)

Collected by Samson Turner, N; handed down by descent

#50939

- The sheath is lined with rawhide and wrapped with native tanned hide. The hide in turn is decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads. The upper hemisphere consists of a two opposing stepped, multi-colored, stepped chevrons which sit on a white ground. The lower hemisphere consists of a central column of yellow diamonds which sit on a white ground. Bordering the white field is a line of black and pink beads which are arranged in a sawtooth pattern. The hemispheres are divided by a row of tin cones. Attached to the top of the sheath is a twisted hide thong with a wooden spindle. Attached to the back of the sheath is an old collection label which reads, “Knife Scabbard”. The bottom line is eligible.

9.5" long and 4" wide; accompanied by a custom stand

Ex Norm Exton, WA; ex Terry Winchell, WY

#50931

A rawhide liner is wrapped with native tanned buffalo hide, and is beaded on the recto side. The recto side consists of sinew-sewn seed beads. The upper hemisphere consists of five box-within-a-box motifs, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, which sit on a powder blue field. The lower hemisphere consists of stepped red-yellow-navy diagonally-arranged blocks which sit again on a blue field. Proceeding up the center are stacked navy "U" - or abstracted horse tracks. Dividing the two hemispheres are remnants of fringe from which tin cones were previously suspended.

9.5" long and 2.75" wide

#50944

A rawhide liner, wrapped with hide, and decorated on the recto side with sinew sewn beadwork. The upper hemisphere consists of opposing interlocking chevrons, articulated in black, blue, butterscotch orange and opaque pink. The black and opaque beads are faceted. The lower hemisphere is separated by a horizonal row of tine cones - now mostly missing. The lower hemisphere has floral elements framed by a sawtooth border. The outside seem is fringed. The verso side is equipped with a belt loop.

9" long and 3" wide (sheath)

Ex. Doug Diehl, MA; ex Alan Silverberg, MA; ex. Jason Baldwin, IL; ex Brad Mighton, CANADA

Published: John Baldwin, Early Knives & Beaded Sheaths of the American Frontier (West Olive, MI: Early American Artistry – Trading Company, 1997), p. 12.

#50914

A bag constructed out of supple native tanned hide, decorated along the opening, base and side seams with sinew sewn seed beads. The bag consists of a base panel with a "bar style" motif, comprising of alternating green and white bars which flank a central column of alternating blue and crimson bars. The bag is fringed; the opening have four bifurcated ears.

20" long and 4" wide

#50936

A pair of possible bags constructed from native tanned buffalo hide, decorated on the verso with naturally dyed rows of quillwork with alternating red and white color blocks. The side seams are decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads, comprising of alternating box-in-a-box motifs. Along the beaded panels are tin cones stuffs with naturally dyed horse hair.

14.5" tall and 22" wide (each)

Ex Bruce Johnson, CO (lifetime personal collection); ex Steven Johnston, OH (collected 2020-2024).

Published: Richard Conn, Circles of the World: Traditional Art of the Plains Indians (Denver, CO: Denver Art Museum, 1982), p. 79, 42.

Exhibited: Denver Art Museum, CO, April 21-June 13, 1982; Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND, August 17-November 28, 1982; Museum of Fine Art, MA, December 122, 1983-February 26, 1984; the St Louis Art Museum, MO, Summer 1984; the DeYoung Museum, CA, Autumn 1984.

#50894

A native tanned hide bag, decorated at the base with sinew-sewn seed beads. The panel consists of four floating hour-glasses with opposing navy and pony trader blue triangles, accented each at the ends with butterscotch blocks, float on a pink ground. The motif is framed with a lane with alternating blue/yellow blocks and then a white line. The neck of the bag is decorated with yellow and blue beaded blocks; the opening of the bag has four rounded tabs. The base is fringed. At the top of the fringe is quillwork.

32" long and 6.5" wide; accompanied by a custom stand

#50915

A yoke comprised of two principal pieces native-tanned leather which have been decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads. The yoke consists of two matched panels in which a cranberry/yellow/black box-in-a-box motif alternates with a “H” motif which matching colors. The design sits on a blue field, and is framed with a three-lane border consisting of two cranberry lanes flank a central lane which alternating black and pink bars. On the inside of the yoke, there is an old penned accession number, “115540”.

59” wide and 14” tall, as displayed; accompanied by a custom stand

Ex Edward Ayer, IL; gifted to the Field Museum, Chicago, IL,(#115540, 1912-1936)

Accompanying the dress is an essay by Jill Ahlberg Yohe, PhD; Consulting curator and co-curator of “Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists” (2019).

#50671

A native tanned hide bag, decorated with sinew-sewn seed beads along the side seams, opening and base. The base consists of a yellow/red quatrefoil motif on a blue field. Below the panel there are quill-wrapped rawhide slats and long fringe. Suspended from the opening there is a long tapering tab which is decorated with pink and navy lanes. The tab is ornamented with short fringe on either side.

42" long and 7" wide; accompanied by a custom stand.

#50937

A native tanned hide bag constructed out of mountain sheep(?); the bag is self-fringed and decorated with seed beads and pony beads along the opening, side seams and base. The base beadwork panel consists of a lazy-stitch “checkboard” panel with alternating and green and yellow blocks. The yellow blocks on the outside columns are horizontally bisected with red lines. Beneath this is a loom beaded panel, constructed from the bag’s fringe, interwoven with pony beads which form a central “cross” motif. The opening of the bag consists of four bifurcated tabs which are decorated with white and navy bars. The ears are trimmed with pony beads.

26” long and 5” wide; accompanied by a custom stand

#50835