Antique Native American Beaded Hide Pipe Tobacco Bag Cut Steel Beads c1900 Plain

Antique Native American beaded hide tobacco / pipe bag, believed to date to the late 19th or early 20th century. A very interesting early piece constructed from soft brown hide and decorated with extensive black and white glass seed beadwork along with faceted metallic beads that appear consistent with antique cut-steel trade beads. The construction is particularly noteworthy.

The upper portion features a multi-tongued / four-tongued opening, a form documented on historic Plains and Northern Plains pipe bags. Similar circa-1900 Cree examples are known with buckskin construction, glass and cut-steel beadwork and four-tongued tops.

Hand-worked brown hide / buckskin-type leather. Extensive black and white glass seed bead decoration.

Faceted cut-steel / metallic bead edging. Long narrow pipe/tobacco pouch form. No maker signature or tribal provenance present. This is an unrestored antique piece with substantial age and wear. The hide is dry and fragile in areas, with edge deterioration, openings/tears, separated seams, loose threads, missing beads and detached or partially detached beadwork. Portions around the opening and decorative tabs have folded or deteriorated. Some original decoration is clearly missing. I have intentionally not cleaned, conditioned, glued, restrung or repaired the piece. Please examine all photographs carefully as they are an important part of the condition description. Based upon construction and decorative characteristics, this appears consistent with historic Plains / Northern Plains Native American beadwork, possibly associated with the Cheyenne/Arapaho or Plains Cree traditions. Tribal attribution is not documented and is therefore not guaranteed.

Age is also an informed estimate based upon materials and construction rather than documented provenance.

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