This is an astounding, large set of saddle bags / saddle blanket dating to circa 1870-1880s done in Buffalo hide being fully beaded from the Sioux people of the Northern Plains during the Indian Wars era. This is quite possibly the largest, and fully beaded set of saddle bags / saddle blanket that has been brought to the public market. The set is comprised of Great American Bison Buffalo Indian tanned hide being sinew sewn with iconic geometric beadwork done in period correct 19th Century glass trade seed cen beads with a muslin, trade canvas backing. The bag tops are nearly completely covered in beadwork, a very scarce and uncommon attribute, with nearly all examples having sections near the middle bare of beadwork with this being nearly completely covered. The only spot without beadwork is at the center near the opening, obviously intentional. Near the front shows an opening allowing the user to store goods in the bags with the entire back being a bag or envelope, truly amazing and in the correct pattern. The beadwork is all sinew sewn and shows classic patterns documented on other pieces from the Sioux peoples, possibly from the Oglala, Yankton, Teton, Brule, or Lakota bands. The beadwork shows a chalk white background with pattern / symbols and geometric banding or border in colors of greasy cobalt, red white heart, greasy yellow, and greasy green. The bag has very little bead loss, with some which nicely expose the period correct sinew threads. The bag shows wonderful Indian tanned, hand cut hide fringes at the bag opening edge as well as along the outside edges or bottoms of the bag. For other beaded saddle bags see the Yankton Sioux Beaded Saddle Bags sold by Christies in 2011 for $15,000, the Cheyenne Beaded Buffalo Hide Saddle Bags third-quarter 19th Century which sold by Hindman in 2022 for $16,770 (w/ bp), the Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux) Beaded saddle cover from Bonhams in 2022 (which shows very similar beadwork patterns). This truly is one of the only fully beaded examples. Provenance: From a private Native American collection in Northern California. Measures overall with fringes 80”L x 18.5”W.*

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