136

Important Lakota Pipe Bag

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Native Americana Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Important Lakota Pipe Bag
Native tanned hide, with black, red, pink, blue, yellow and white beads; with faded purple (aniline dyed) and bright orange (natural dyed) quilled fringe. The design elements that frame the throat are classic Lakota, as are the geometric panels, though this example indicates a high level of artistic achievement. The pictorial faces illustrate the owner’s kills in raids against the Pawnee (indicated by the roaches atop their heads). That they are crowned by pipes would indicate the owner’s status as a leader in raids against the enemy. A rare and unique piece of remarkable skill and construction, with very few comparable examples known to exist. c.1875.

In 2012, this pipe bag was featured on National Geographic’s America’s Lost Treasures at its Kansas City filming.