case, knife
case, knife
case, knife
Read More About This Relative
Wool, beads
The blade-shaped case has six brown wool tassels which hang in clusters of three ivory and turquoise beaded threads near the point of the curved edge. It is backed with Z single vegetable (cotton?) plain weave fabric, with two belt loops in the same. The bead embroidery nearly covers the recto and is done on plain weave cotton (?) with six-pointed star print. Red wool tape edges.
Applique beadwork covers one side in a floral design in pink, yellow, ochre, turquoise, green, black, navy and dark red. A curving blue vine emerges from a cluster of overlapping blossoms, green leaves and blue tendrils near the opening of the case. The white background has a narrow border two rows inside the perimeter.
Wool is of a different sort than was available in the fur trade.
Pohrt notes that it is "not a practical knife case," possibly "worn as a costume piece."
Commercial red wool oblique 2/2 twill interlacing tape covers the edges. The case is stitched by hand. The interlacing material is unidentified.
Provenance
Originally collected by a missionary near Browns Valley, Minnesota.