Knife Sheath
1 of 4
Object Label
The articles in this case and the adjacent clothing case are some of the earliest and finest Eastern Plains pieces in existence. They were collected by Dr. Nathan Sturges Jarvis, a military surgeon stationed at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, between 1833 and 1836. He purchased some of the objects, while some may have been given in exchange for his medical services. These works display indigenous people’s ingenuity in combining trade materials such as cloth, metal, and glass beads with traditional hides, red pipestone, and porcupine and bird quills.
Caption
Eastern, Sioux. Knife Sheath, early 19th century. Rawhide, buckskin, porcupine quills, tin, sinew, thread, 9 1/2 x 3 1/4 in. (24.1 x 8.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Henry L. Batterman Fund and the Frank Sherman Benson Fund, 50.67.41. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Culture
Title
Knife Sheath
Date
early 19th century
Geography
Place collected: Fort Snelling, Minnesota, United States
Medium
Rawhide, buckskin, porcupine quills, tin, sinew, thread
Classification
Dimensions
9 1/2 x 3 1/4 in. (24.1 x 8.3 cm)
Inscriptions
"Indian Scalping knives" number "46"
Credit Line
Henry L. Batterman Fund and the Frank Sherman Benson Fund
Accession Number
50.67.41
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