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Sioux Polychrome Parfleche Shield Ft. Belknap Tag

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:125.00 USD Estimated At:450.00 - 950.00 USD
Sioux Polychrome Parfleche Shield Ft. Belknap Tag
The lot features a parfleche rawhide dance shield, which is signed on the rear by Wounded Swallow as being a Sioux Dance Shield. The piece also has an original U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Board (Certified Indian Enterprise / Northern Plains Indian Crafts Association) tag, which is marked as being from Fort Belknap Indian Crafts Association Assiniboine-Gros Ventre and a Shield, Craftworker Loyad Tops Guy Number 1998, Price $400.00. The piece is signed on the rear, “The Swallow / Sioux Dance Shield / Made by Wounded Swallow”. The piece shows wetted and stretched Buffalo rawhide over a bent willow wood branch hoop and is sewn with rawhide lacing. The front shows a polychrome painted finish with large swallow bird effigy in blue at the center and a spotted red dot border following the outline of the bird. It is further accented by wavy rain lines and spots, along with a border of blue and red with similar dot outline. The shield has sixteen drops around the outside edge, all having hide ties and a round hide gasket with red paint and drops of turkey feathers, beads, horsehair and red stroud wool trade blanket strips. The piece shows a nice repair in rawhide lacing at the top and it presents well. Overall, it measures 20” in diameter by about 2.75” thick.