A PLATEAU BEADED, CLOTH AND FRINGED HIDE RIFLE SCABBARD

PROBABLY CROW

細節

A PLATEAU BEADED, CLOTH AND FRINGED HIDE RIFLE SCABBARD
PROBABLY CROW
Of classic tapering form, decorated on the butt with alternating green trade cloth hourglasses and red trade cloth diamonds outlined in white beads, hide panel on the point, sinew sewn in yellow, dark blue, white, translucent red and green against a light blue ground, decorated with a pair of elongated triangles, scalloped red trade cloth panels along the barrel accented with two pairs of narrow light blue diagonal bands and red ochre pigment, twisted long fringe at front and short fringe at opening
45in. (114.3cm.) long

拍品專文

This piece is an excellent example of the Plateau or Transmontane gun case. Several additions make this an outstanding work of art. On the butt section we have the use of two colors of cloth, red and green. What makes this interesting is that the designs can be read in a positive or negative, forming either red diamonds on a green ground, or green hourglasses on a red ground. With outlines in white beads, this makes a very powerful image. With the addition of the separately beaded muzzle piece, we have the hourglass figure repeated in totally different colors on a blue ground. This blue ground is carried toward the butt with the addition of two sets of double lines also in blue. While the addition of these lines is not a typical trait of these gun cases, artistically it adds the "icing on the cake" creating a visual treat. (For similar examples see Wright (ed.), Washington, 1991.)

Paul Raczka March 14, 2000