SET OF 4 MATCHED 19TH CENTURY PLAINS
QUILLED PENDANTS AS USED ON TIPI COVERS, BACKRESTS, AND
OTHER FURNISHINGS – A RARE OFFERING: This is an
excellent set of four (4) matching Porcupine Quillwork
Pendants are typical of the sort of ornaments used by
the Plains Tribes to decorate their lodge (tipi) covers
in rows down the front and/or back, along the smoke
flaps, or on such fixtures used inside the lodge such as
the willow backrests.
While probably quite common during the period of use,
almost an ubiquitous decoration for the lodges, the
fragile nature of quillwork, especially in that the
pendants were exposed to the elements, and that they
were never intended to be durable or last through the
years, this sort of quilled decoration is almost never
seen on the market. Ornaments such as these simply did
not survive in large numbers, and that these four
matching pendants have remained together as a set is
truly remarkable. These are indeed a rare offering.
The four pendants, measuring 8” long (total length with
cones and feathers) and ½” wide, are decorated with
faded red porcupine quillwork. The quills are wrapped
around the width of the 4 ¾” long rawhide slats which
form the base of the pendants, with a line of sinew
stitching down the center of each slat to further secure
the quills in place. All of the quillwork is intact
with no broken or missing quills – a condition feature
of old quillwork which is almost never found. Each
pendant has a native tanned buckskin thong for
attachment, each knotted through a square of dark green
cloth. The lower end of each pendant is decorated with
a pair of hand formed tin cones – attached with a
doubled native tanned buckskin thong – and the cones
each hold body feathers which were dyed red. The colors
are vivid, with some fading or darkening appropriately
commensurate with the age of the pendants.
The potential for displaying this set as is, or using
them to add to or restore another artifact is almost
endless. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a
matched set of original 19TH Century quilled
pendants which have survived in wonderful condition.
(0921) $1100
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