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C. 1871 Sioux Beaded Bowcase, Quiver, Arrows & Bow

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:8,000.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
C. 1871 Sioux Beaded Bowcase, Quiver, Arrows & Bow
The lot features a beaded bowcase, quiver, bow and arrows from the Sioux Indians collected in 1871 from the Engel Ranch in Montana. The piece is accompanied by an old collection tag with typed and signed provenance. The bowcase / bow case and quiver are comprised of Indian brain tanned buffalo / bison hide being sinew sewn and adorned with long frilly hide fringes and classic Sioux geometric beadwork. The beadwork is also sinew sewn and consist of all period correct 19th Century glass trade seed cen beads with little to no bead loss. The beads include colors of greasy yellow, padre sky blue, red white heart, cobalt, and greasy medium green. The beadwork is found at the bowcase opening and foot, quiver opening and foot and along the hide shoulder sling hide drop sections. The bowcase end has a piece of rawhide parfleche in a rare elliptical or spherical shape, an early Northern Plains feature found on parfleche bonnet cases, elliptical bags and quivers / bow cases. The bow is wonderfully carved from a solid piece of wood with classic Native recurve pattern having carved notches on each end and strung with the original braided sinew bow string. The set also includes three older arrows that could have been added to the set. They consist of stripped wooden shafts with a snake or zig-zag incised line painted with red and green ocher having bone carved arrow head points being secured with sinew wrapping and arrow fletching still intact, also secured with sinew. The arrows have expertly carved notch or nock. Under the feather fletching is a banded mineral pigment painted design, a nice early feature.

The set includes an original old provenance tag attached to the bow. The tag reads, “Bow taken from Sioux Indian in 1871 by the uncle of a ranch hand that worked on Abe Engel’s fathers’ ranch in Montana. Bow was given to Abe Engel, who was 12 yrs. Old and is now 75. Abe Engel now lives at 113 Sunnyside St., Reno, Nevada. (signed) Gene Rujep / Susamill. (?)”. The tag is an older 1930’s example and the print is done from a typewriter. 113 Sunnyside St. Reno, Nevada was built, likely by Engel, in 1946.

The set is very well kept, which is understandable as it was collected not long after it was made. The piece shows some slight stiffened hide spots, but mainly has a supple soft hide. Provenance: Collected in circa 1871 from the Engel or Engle Ranch in Montana Territory. Given to Abe Angel at age 12 and later sold or traded in and around the 1940’s when Abe was 75 years old. Bow measures by itself 42.5”L. Arrows are each about 27.5”L. The bow case and quiver set including the strap measures about 57”L (from the back of the neck to bottom of the lowest fringe) by 56”W both including fringes.