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Crow Otter Hide Beaded Bowcase & Quiver c. 1880

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
Crow Otter Hide Beaded Bowcase & Quiver c. 1880
Advertising, Firearms, Antiques, Collectibles, Antique Furniture, Native American Artifacts, Navajo Jewelry, Silver, Gold, Montana History Artifacts, Navajo Indian Rugs, Taxidermy Mounts, Navajo Old Pawn Jewelry, Turquoise Jewelry, Old Western, Bits & Spurs, Chaps, Early American, Native American Indian Weapons, Native American Indian Beadwork from the Sioux, Crow, Blackfoot, Blackfeet, Iroquois, Chippewa, Comanche, Kiowa, Salish, Nez Perce, Seneca, Great Lakes, Eastern Woodlands, Northern Plain
This is an exceptional original authentic beaded bow case & quiver with bow & arrows from the Crow Native American Indians and dating to circa 1880-1890. Provenance: From a Historic & Important Museum quality private collection in Billings, Montana (from the same collection as one of the most important and valuable war shirts ever sold at public sale). This has been examined by a Native American artifact expert and was found to be an authentic original piece dating to the late 19th Century. The lot features the bow, five arrows, and the bow case & quiver. The bow case and quiver show an extraordinarily rare otter fur hide construction with red and white trade clothe edging and backing. The bow case and quiver also show excellent authentic 19th century glass trade seed beadwork in a traditional Crow geometric pattern showing such colors as chalk white, padre sky blue, corn yellow, butterscotch, semi-transparent dark blue, red white hearts, Cheyenne pink, and red all done with sinew sewing on Indian tanned hide with a lonely artist red trade clothe framing. The case and quiver show two large beaded flaps with beaded drops along with the ends of both the case and quiver having a beaded wrap (two beaded wraps are shown on the shoulder strap also). The bow case and arrow quiver opening show a larger pony glass trade seed beads in Cheyenne pink, chalk white, and semi-transparent dark blue. The hardwood hand carved bow shows a rich dark patina, a sign of authentic age and use, along with the original scarcely seen braided stomach sinew draw string and with an early repair with trade thread. The bow appears to date to circa 1870 and is truly a rare find. The five arrows included in the lot each show a carved and scrapped wood construction with green pigment mineral ocher paint with four having feather fletching being sinew wrapped and sewn. The two of the arrows show a forged iron or sheet iron blacksmith worked arrowhead with sharpened edge with the other three showing a sheet steel cut arrowhead (a possible later addition). This is one of the finest most detailed crafted 19th Century our company has offered for sale and is the most historic otter hide quiver and bow case ever offered for public sale from the 19th Century. Otter hide has been documented in use with some of the more historic pieces offered for sale such as the Crow Horse Doctor’s Otter Coat sold by Brian Lebel’s Old West Show & Auction at their 6/25/2011 sale for $16,800, a Central Plains Bea Claw Necklace with otter fur sold by Cowan’s Auction at their 4/5/2013 sale for $61,500, and a Central Plains Otter Fur Breastplate sold at Skinner’s Auction at their 9/24/2011 sale for $4,900 (with premiums). Early Beaded Bow & Quiver cases have sold at auction, with this example being more scarce in authentic otter fur, such as the Sioux Beaded and Quilled bowcase & quiver at High Noon Western Americana Auction 1/29/2011 for $36,000, a Sioux Beaded bowcase and quiver 1880 from Heritage Auctions 11/10/2012 auction for $20,000, and a Sioux Bowcase and quiver from Morphy’s Auction’s 1/19/2017 for $21,250 (shown with premiums). This is truly an exceptional authentic circa 1880-1890 beaded bowcase and quiver and the finest otter hide and crow example offered for sale. Overall measures 45 1/4" wide from each end of the extruded bow, and 38 1/2" long from the crest of the shoulder strap to the bottom.