The lot features an exceptional beaded woman’s dress from the Nez Perce Native American Indians and dating to circa early 1900’s. The dress shows a unique and attractive fully beaded cape with an early grain bag trade clothe construction having all Czechoslovakia bugle glass tube beads in semi-transparent, semi-transparent with red inside, light blue, transparent, and semi-transparent dark green. The dress is manufactured of all early antique trade wool in a dark blue color with a red, green and yellow ribbon edging along the bottom and outer edge of the cuffs and also shows a red / green trade clothe collar. The dress is in fine condition for its early age with little bead loss and no holes or rips in the clothe. The fully beaded collar is attached to the dress via the trade clothe red and green edging with a Indian tanned hide draw string still attached at the rear. Provenance: From a large historic Native American and Early Old West Cowboy private collection in Billings, Montana and was purchased from a large Livingston, Montana museum quality collection. The dress shows a similar quality and age to the following dresses including the Sioux Cowry Shell Beaded Dress c. 1890 sold by North American Auction Company for $4,500 at our 3/3/2018 sale, the Plateau Pony Beaded Dress sold by High Noon Western Americana for $78,000 at their 1/29/2011 sale, and the Plains Blue Trade Cloth Lakota Dress sold by Skinner Auction for $22,050 at their 5/15/2010 sale. This is truly an early and desirable fully beaded collar early dress showing museum quality artisanship and condition. The top measures 30 3/4" wide at the waist, 16 1/2" wide across the chest - underneath the armpits, 40 1/2" long from the neck line - to the bottom of the waist, and 19" from the neck line - to the edge of the sleeve.

For a complete representation of condition and for additional images please call 800-686-4216. It is the buyer’s responsibility to view each image and preview the item to determine condition.