Parfleche – Rawhide Box used by Indigenous Peoples of the Plains

Description

This parfleche is 8.5” long X 4.5” high x 6.25” wide.  This preowned box is in great shape with felt edges.

A parfleche is made of folded rawhide, it is a tough carrying bag made by the people Indigenous who lived on the plains of the US.  To remove the hair of the hide, it is soaked in lye and water, then it is dried in the desired shape. The brushes used in the past were either porous bone or a dried tree branch, such as willow. The design is painted on while it is hydrated (moisturized) by rubbing the water in with a sponge, wipe down, then put a damp towel on the rawhide for 30 minutes.  Then wipe down to put the knaps of the tissue back in place (notes from Crazy Crow).

Handwritten note that was included states the following:

”Cheyenne (Southern) (Algonquian Linguistic Family)

The Cheyennes are an Algonquian group, who at one time lived in permanent villages, planted crops, made pottery, & used BirchBark. After 1700 they moved west & south from northern Minnesota.  Lewis & Clark found them in 1804. Later they separated into two groups. The Northern Cheyenne & the Southern Cheyenne. The Northern lived in Southeastern Montana – Southern in West Central Oklahoma. A design from a parfleche with the typical small brown figures & the Brown outlines with a simple border. Blue Bands across the back connect the two decorated areas on the square upper flap. The Cheyenne designs were delicate & the colors pleasing.

Rawhide Felt, Leather Ties

JDF”