Sioux Elk Dreamer Quilled Hide Tobacco Bag

fourth quarter 19th century

thread and sinew-sewn and coated with yellow pigment; prominently quilled in yellow and red is the iconic elk head for the Elk Dreamer Society accented with banded quilled and beaded elements

overall length 20-1/2 inches

Elk Dreamer Society

Among the Lakota and other Plains peoples, to dream of a particular animal has great significance, for it is through dreams that one may receive the supernatural powers of that creature. The bull elk is believed to possess extraordinary seductive powers over the females of its kind. To dream of the bull elk is to acquire this special ability to captivate females.

Men (and a few women) who dream of the elk joined the Elk Dreamers’ Society, often acting their dreams and “testing” their powers in dance performances. At society feasts, Elk Dreamers sang songs and made medicine for attracting women.

For elk ceremonies, dreamers donned triangular masks of rawhide adorned with small branches representing antlers. They painted their bodies yellow and often painted their arms black from the elbow down and their legs black from the knee down. Dreamers carried hoops and mirrors from which to “shoot” their powers at rival dreamers and to bring their “victims” (often women) under their influence (Maurer 1992: 133, fig 53).

Published:
Spirits of the Art (Hanson 1994: 124, plate 126)

Hide is soft, small tear aling the seam on the neck. Scattered light quill/bead loss

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Danica Farnand

Vice President, Head of Department, Native American Art

[email protected]513.666.4935

Ms. Farnand has helmed the Native American Art department since its inception at Cowan's Auctions in 2003, developing it into one of the most respected and successful departments in the category. Throughout her career, Ms. Farnand has sold over $50 million in Native Art, and has created focused and curated auctions for 19th and 20th century Native works, Jewelry, and Modern and Contemporary Native and Indigenous Arts. A distinguished expert in her field, Ms. Farnand is a respected voice in the ongoing dialogue between Native American tribal groups and the collecting community regarding culturally significant objects, serving as a board member of the Authentic Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) since 2019, and spearheading the effort to return a sacred Ahayu:da wooden figure to its rightful home in the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico in 2020. She has also been an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow since 2016. Ms. Farnand holds an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and a B.A. in Art History from John Carroll University.

Erin Rust

Associate Vice President, Specialist, Native American Art

[email protected]513.666.4947

Erin Rust is a specialist in the Native American, Prehistoric & Tribal Art department at Hindman.
Ms. Rust began as a specialist in Native American Art and Artifacts at Cowan’s Auctions in 2017, with a focus on Native jewelry and Midwestern prehistoric artifacts. She has also worked on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana and on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Ms. Rust holds a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design with a minor in History, concentrating in Native Studies, from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Rust also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Native American Art: The Lifetime Collection of Forrest Fenn, Part I

Sioux Elk Dreamer Quilled Hide Tobacco Bag

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