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LAKOTA SIOUX PARFLECHE CYLINDER – UNUSUAL SMALL
SIZE PERHAPS TO STORE CEREMONIAL ITEMS, FEATHERS, OR FOR
SMALL PERSONAL ITEMS HUNG FROM A SADDLE:
This is an unusually small
Lakota Sioux Parfleche Cylinder. The painted design
serves to identify the tribal origin, as documented in
the seminal work on the subject, THE AMERICAN INDIAN
PARFLECHE by Gaylord Torrence. Torrence provides
well captioned examples of the various tribal patterns
of painting these useful storage vessels, as well as
detailed descriptions of the individual tribal styles
and methods of design, construction, and decoration.
The photographs of Lakota Sioux painted parfleches he
offers on pages 93 and 105 provide excellent examples
for comparison and which identify this piece as
originating with the same people.
In Torrence’s discussion of styles and size, he notes
that many of the surviving Lakota cylinders are on the
small size such as the one offered here, as compared to
the large cylinders from other tribes which are found.
His descriptions of the manner in which the Lakota
cylinders were assembled and decorated apply almost
without exception to the specimen offered here.
The cylinder, measuring 11 ½” long, 4” in diameter at
the top and 3” in diameter at the bottom, is fashioned
of rawhide which holds it shape without any curling or
disfiguring.
The exterior wall of the cylinder is painted all the way
around, with two separate patterns on the opposing
sides, again in character with, and in patterns seen, on
known Lakota examples. The paint shows the wear
expected on an old piece such as this, however the
design elements are legible and colors are still vivid.
The top and bottom plugs or covers are both made of the
same hide and both are painted. The edges of the
cylinder wall are joined with a series of native tanned
leather thongs, every other one holding a glass trade
bead. The bottom cover is stitched into place with a
sinew thread while the top cover is attached with five
native tanned leather thongs, four of which hold a glass
trade bead.
The interior surfaces of the cylinder walls, and the top
and bottom cover, all have the aged brown surface
associated with old native made rawhide. This brown
coloring does not appear on modern commercial made
rawhide, but rather is the result of the way in which
the native peoples treated the hides destined to be used
for parfleches and then the effects of time and age.
This is a telling feature which testifies to the age of
this piece.
Overall, this is an excellent example of a fairly scarce
Parfleche Cylinder which presents extremely well as a
nice old piece. (0331) $1850
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