Sioux Beaded Buffalo Hide Pouch, Collected by Parker Barrows Wickham, a Purchaser of Sitting Bull's Cabin

fourth quarter 19th century

sinew-sewn and beaded using colors of red white-heart, dark blue, light blue, and greasy yellow; quilled hide slats; remnants of red pigment

overall length 11-1/2 inches

Descended through the family of Parker Barrows Wickham (1851-1916).

Shortly after the death of Sitting Bull, Parker Barrows Wickham along with H.S. Parkins, A.E. Thorberg, and Christ Nordstrom purchased Sitting Bull's Cabin and its contents. The outfit consisted of one cottonwood log cabin 36 x 18, 8 feet in height, lighted by two windows and "shingled with dirt." Also one ghost pole 10 inches in diameter at the butt and 15 feet in length, highly decorated with red and blue paint: 14 buffalo robes, painted and bedecked with all manner of fish and animals, besides war scenes illustrative of the Custer massacre, all which are painted in an artistic Indian manner. Included in the bargain were four wagon loads of trinkets, Indian relics and curiosities (Minneapolis Journal, C.S. Branch 1891).

The cabin was reassembled at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair where Wickham attempted to sell trinkets from the purchase. Letters between Wickham and Thorberg describe a rocky start due to inclement weather and lack of attendance: "If it keeps up this way many days longer we will have to raise more money to keep the "shack" afloat."

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Descended through the family of Parker Barrows Wickham (1851-1916), one of the purchasers of Sitting Bull's cabin.

To request further details about this lot, please email [email protected]

Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

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, Session I

Sioux Beaded Buffalo Hide Pouch, Collected by Parker Barrows Wickham, a Purchaser of Sitting Bull's Cabin

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