1890's Native American Sioux / Plains Indians Quill Decorated Teepee Ornament For Sale

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This wonderful Plains Indian Teepee Ornament features a soft hide rosette at the top with three concentric red and white quill circles and three bands of twisted quill circles at the center. Attached at the center of the rosette by a soft hide strip is a stiff, rawhide strip completely covered with red quill. Attached at the bottom of this "drop" are two tin cone "danglers" and attached to each of the tin cones are two tufts of orange dyed horse hair (from a horse's tail). The soft hide strip that attaches the drop to the rosette is approx. 6 1/2" long and would have been used to affix the Ornament to the surface of the Teepee.

This type of external Teepee Ornament was used by various Plains Indian Tribes but most especially the Sioux, Arapaho and the Cheyenne. We have been informed by someone who has been studying this tepee Decorations of this kind for many years, that the Ornament offered here is Sioux. They were usually arranged in horizontal circles and the Ornaments carry significant cultural and tribal significance. Arapaho tradition calls for these type of quill decorations and the vows they represented to be under the control of the "Seven Old Women" in the Quill Society. A woman could "vow" to make such an offering, as pledges were made for other sacrifices, for example, a person could vow to sponsor an age-grade ceremony, to participate in an offerings Lodge, to fast, to cover the pipe, to cut off a finger, to offer pieces of flesh, or to make other sacrifices to avert misfortune for one's kin or Tribe. Objects made in the Quill Ceremony were not for personal possession but as gifts for those that one wishes to protect or help. They were often related to marriages and the recipient of a Quill Ornament was expected to reciprocate. It is written that "When a man receives such a present from his mother-in-law or from a relative he enters into a teepee where old women are gathered... he makes an apology to all for inferior qualities (in himself) and so gives a horse to show that he is a man".

Hassrick and Kroeber describe these "danglers" or "tinklers" of the Sioux and Cheyenne which are applied to the front of the teepee thus: "A well appointed tipi required additional embellishments with 'tipi front quills'. These danglers made of short strips of rawhide wrapped with brightly colored porcupine quills to which were attached horsetails... might be attached to the height of a man's head and at equal intervals" and "Arapaho and Cheyenne applied these quilled pendants, arranging them in two vertical rows on the front of the tent and the edge of the flaps".

This very rare and very beautiful, ca1890's Sioux Indian Quill Decorated Teepee Ornament is in very good condition. All of the hide elements are exceptionally well preserved and without damage or loss. The quill decoration is well preserved also but with some minor loss to the quills that decorate the rosette and some fading to the red coloring to the rosette quills. The quills decorating the surface of the drop retain their brilliant red color and there are only a few, single quills that have been lost. Both tin cone danglers are present and well preserved and the two pair of horse tail (or mane) tufts are also very well preserved.

Although we are not experts in the field of Native American Indian Art and relics, the Quill Decorated Teepee Ornament offered here is unconditionally guaranteed original and as described above - a ca1880's Native American Sioux Indian Quill Decorated Teepee Ornament. It will be accompanied by our own Certificate of Authenticity with a statement of our unconditional return policy and lifetime guarantee that the Ornament will be deemed original, authentic and as described above by any qualified third party authentication service.

A very rare and very beautiful, ca1880's Native American Sioux Indian Quill Decorated Teepee Ornament and a fantastic addition to any collection!!!

Overseasshippping is extra and cost will be quoted at buyers request. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax.

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The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a $1.00 "packing fee" - the $1.00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the $1.00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.

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This item has been shown 300 times. 1890's Native American Sioux / Plains Indians Quill Decorated Teepee Ornament: $232