H-38-60 Pair of Plateau parfleche bags.(Photos show back and front views)
The Plateau region is located in the northwestern United States and includes western Washington and Oregon, northern Idaho, and eastern Montana. Many dozens of tribes occupied this region and shared similar cultural features. This region was a major trade route between the Great Plains and the West Coast adding further to the homogenous nature of these tribes. Consequently, exact tribal identity of cultural material is often difficult without documentation. These flat cases with elaborate flap and long fringe are often referred to as Crow examples but many tribes actually made and used these in the Plateau region. This pair was made from a much larger Plateau parfleche (dating about 1900) that has been cut in half. The fringe and beaded flaps were added in approximately the 1950's , this ensemble undoubtedly having been made for horse parades (common among Indian groups in the Plateau region in the post WWI era).
A very decorative pair and an example of how the Indians in this region would recycle older parfleche material. 14 inches wide by about 52 inches long. $2,750.00 for the pair.