Tobacco Bag
Lakota artist, Tobacco Bag, ca. 1900, leather, porcupine quills, glass beads, paint, metal, and dyed horsehair, The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection, no known copyright restrictions, 87.88.5
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Tobacco Bag
- Artist
- Date
ca. 1900
- Medium
leather, porcupine quills, glass beads, paint, metal, and dyed horsehair
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
36 in x 6 in
- Collection Area
Native American Art
- Category
Plains
Bags and Pouches
- Object Type
tobacco bag
- Cultural Group
Lakota
- Credit Line
The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection
- Accession Number
87.88.5
- Copyright
no known copyright restrictions
- Terms
In addition to being useful containers, tobacco bags were worn as clothing accessories by Plains Indian men. They were carried in the hand, with the body of the bag and the fringe allowed to hang freely. These bags were made from tanned leather, cut and sewn into a rectangular shape with an opening at the top. The decoration, either beaded or quilled, is usually made up of a rectangular or square panel at the bottom of the bag, with additional beadwork in strips or as accents extending up the sides and around the top. The designs frequently differ from one side to the other.
