Native American Bags Photos

Native Americans made a variety of carrying bags ranging from painted skin parfleches to beaded shoulder bags.

See also: Native American Arts, Western Art & Indian Art Museum Painting & Sculpture
Click photo to enlarge.
Collection of native bags at South Dakota State Historical Society Museum. Pierre, SD

Northern Plains rawhide parfleches (c1890) at Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Cody, WY

Plateau Indian (possibly Nez Perce) parfleche container (c1900) at Autry National Center. Los Angeles, CA

Cheyenne painted parfleche bag (1920) at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Arapaho painted parfleche bag (1930) at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Sioux parfleche at Dakota Discovery Museum. Mitchell, SD

Rawhide container (perhaps Dakota) at Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Regina, SK

Native parfleche, gauntlets & moccasins at South Dakota State Historical Society Museum. Pierre, SD

Beaded tipi bag (c1885) at Dakota Discovery Museum. Mitchell, SD

Arapaho beaded possible bag (1890) aka "bag for every possible thing" at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Sioux possible bag (1870) probably from North Dakota at National Museum of American Indian. New York, NY

Nez Perce corn husk bag (c1890) at Montana Historical Society museum. Helena, MT

Nez Perce Plateau Indian corn husk woven bag (late 1800s) at Utah Museum of Natural History. Salt Lake City, UT

Nez Perce woven storage bag (1900) at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Nez Perce woven storage bag (1930) with star pattern at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Nez Perce woven storage bag (1965) by Delia Davis at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Cree octopus bag (c1860) at Montana Historical Society museum. Helena, MT

Dene beadwork wall pouch (prior to 1957) at Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Regina, SK

Ojibwa beaded bandolier bag (1880-90s) at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Cree-Metis bag (c1850) from Manitoba at National Museum of American Indian. New York, NY

Ogallala Sioux child's handbag (c1880-90) at Lincoln County Historical Museum. North Platte, NE

Sioux quillwork pouch (c1910) at Montana Historical Society museum. Helena, MT

Apache saddle bag at Oklahoma History Center. Oklahoma City, OK

Apache Indian beaded buckskin bag (c1890) at Omniplex museum. Oklahoma City, OK

Arapaho Indian beaded dispatch bag (c1885) at Nelson Museum of the West. Cheyenne, WY

Lakota beaded deer hide saddlebags (c1885) at Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Cody, WY

Beaded Indian bandolier bag (probably Anishinabe) at Laramie Plains Museum. Laramie, WY

Wasco Indian woven wallet (1890s) with human figures at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Native American pipe bag decorated with glass beadwork at Historical Museum of Iowa. Des Moines, IA

Santee Sioux quilled bag (c1880) at Nelson Museum of the West. Cheyenne, WY

Beadwork bag (c1860) by Northern Plains possibly Dakota Indians at National Cowboy Museum. Oklahoma City, OK

Iroquois beaded purse (late 19th c) at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Iroquois beaded bag (c1890) at Utah Museum of Natural History. Salt Lake City, UT

Beadwork bag (c1900) in Plateau style at National Cowboy Museum. Oklahoma City, OK

Klikitat beaded handbag (1920) with stag design at Denver Art Museum. Denver, CO

Blackfoot beadwork purse with Great Northern Railroad logo at Museum of the Rockies. Bozeman, MT


All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.