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Blackfoot Beaded Sheath & Bowie Knife c. 1880

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Blackfoot Beaded Sheath & Bowie Knife c. 1880
Advertising, Firearms, Antiques, Collectibles, Antique Furniture, Native American Artifacts, Navajo Jewelry, Silver, Gold, Montana History Artifacts, Navajo Indian Rugs, Taxidermy Mounts, Tomahawks, Montana Saddlery, War Shirts, Beadwork, Turquoise, Sterling, Chaps, Yellowstone..
The lot features a fantastic Blackfoot Native American Indian of Montana fully beaded parfleche sheath and Joseph Allen & Sons trade knife that date to circa 1880’s. The knife is an exceptionally rare large California Bowie Knife from circa 1883-1890 and was crafted by Joseph Allen & Sons under the “NON-XLL” hallmark, which was acquired from Unwin & Rodgers in 1883. The early authentic original sheath shows a polychrome mineral pigment painted parfleche piece showing a traditional geometric design and was most likely cut from a larger envelope. The polychrome parfleche is sinew sewn to a piece of Great American Bison Buffalo Indian tanned hide showing a fully beaded front with all authentic early glass trade seed beads having a semi-transparent medium green background and a linear geometric pattern of chalk white and red white hearts and a fancy outer edge. The bottom of the sheath shows fringe having Czechoslovakian semi-transparent cut tube beads and Germantown like red trade yarn tassels tufts. The top of the sheath still shows the Indian tanned hide belt tie, a rare addition. The entire sheath, including the beadwork appears to be sinew sewn, an early attribute lending to its authenticity. The knife is marked on the left side, “NON-XLL” and at the hilt, “ALLEN & SONS”. The knife shows a heavy construction with thick blade that has been sharpened many times and shows a stag horn carved set of grips with heavy pewter inlaid for the hilt and along the bottom side / right side. Joseph Allen started his own cutlery business on Solly Street in England circa 1881, where he employed ten men. Many of the Joseph Allen & Sons knife were exported to America for trade on the frontier. In 1893 Joseph Allen Died. This is truly a fine set showing a true Early American Frontier Bowie Knife with clear markings that was traded to the Blackfoot (Blackfeet) Native American Indians where it was paired with this fine early construction parfleche beaded scabbard / sheath. The sheath measures 1.75" x 10" and the knife measures 9.5". The lot was found to be authentic and sold by Binoche Auction in Paris, Franc in 2010.