Repurposed Plateau Beaded Bag

The central panel of this bag is made from a rectangular section of a Plateau blanket strip dating from the 1870's or early 1880's. It is sinew sewn on buffalo hide. Then some time around 1900 it was converted into a small bag with a beaded flap. The back was thick canvas covered with a repurposed piece of red trade cloth. It still has one of two pony bead side drops ending in cowrie shells. At some time a handle was sewn on the back with a cut out white poker chip. The section from the blanket strip is a dramatic piece of beadwork  and the bag is worth it for that alone. The later portion of the bag is ethnic and funky with tattered red trade cloth and somewhat sloppy beadwork on the flap. That being said, I think it is an interesting and unusual piece of Plateau beadwork.

L. 6"; W. 6 ¼"