Pipe bag, probably Sioux. The body of the bag is decorated with beadwork. One end of the bag is solidly beaded, covering an area approximately one fifth of the bag’s length. A central spine of beading runs from this solid area to the mouth of the bag, which is hemmed with a rim of beadwork. The form of two pipes is expressed in beading, one to each side of the central spine. The bowl end of each pipe is represented with red beads and the shaft with white. The beadwork on the rest of the bag is predominately white, with sections of black, red, green, and blue beading. At the mouth of the bag are tassels, some of which are bound with porcupine quill.
The following comments result from a research visit made by Alison Brown, Anita Herle, Alan Pard and Charlene Wolfe, to examine some of the Horniman’s Blackfoot material (5 March 2015) : Pipe bag. The pipe design with a red bowl worked into the beadwork indicates Sioux style. This is a good example, although lower part with fringes has been removed. Porcupine quill wrapping on thongs at opening. A number of these items were likely traded, for example when Sitting Bull came to Canada he sent gifts over to the Blackfoot. AH: noted that sometimes people would give away things they got from outsiders before they gave away their own possessions. AP agreed that this was possible.
