Northern Cree Quilled Hide Knife Sheath

mid-19th century

thread-sewn smoke-tanned hide; having finely quilled strip around opening which is further decorated using larger blue beads and quill-wrapped fringe

overall length 18 inches

This style of bag... is often identified as a knife sheath. The rounded end and gathered middle, however, are typical of eastern and northern gun cases. This bag bears an uncanny resemblance to the pistol bags in which new arms were regularly shipped to America. During the War of 1812, an American officer commented that he knew the pro-British Indians just had received new weapons because their guns were still in cloth cases. Probably from the Northern Cree, this pouch is decorated with a woven quill band at the opening. The fuchsia-dyed quillwork around the middle is an aniline color, an artificial coal tar dye developed in the 1840s. This piece probably was made just after 1850 (Hanson 1994: 253).

Published:
Spirits in the Art (Hanson 1994: 253, plate 263)

Ex H.B. Bompas Collection (July 12, 1937)

Hide and fringe is soft and supple; light scattered quill loss

metal tag at bottom is the Fenn collection tag

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Danica Farnand

Vice President, Head of Department, Native American Art

danicafarnand@freemansauction.com 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

erinrust@freemansauction.com 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.

The Lifetime Collection of Forrest Fenn, Part II

Northern Cree Quilled Hide Knife Sheath

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