A repurposed painted parfleche pouch/medicine bag made from the top of a rawhide brass tacked trunk such as used on the Oregon Trail. A few tin cones with red horse hair drops remaining. Multiple work periods. The term parfleche was first coined by the French fur traders and derived from the French word “parer” meaning defend and “fleche” meaning arrows, as the hide was tough enough to be used as a shield and deflect an arrow. The original containers had graphics that were maps, geographical depictions such as rivers and mountains, or symbols that told the family’s stories. Once the parfleche left the family, the story was lost and the parfleche became Native American art rather than a meaningful storyteller. A historical piece. Came from a collection in Oklahoma.
PERIOD: Mid 19th Century
ORIGIN: Great Plains – Osage, Native American
SIZE: 13″ x 13″