Rawhide Box
Lakota artist, Rawhide Box, ca. 1890, rawhide, paint, and leather ties, The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection, no known copyright restrictions, 89.52.7
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- Title
Rawhide Box
- Artist
- Date
ca. 1890
- Medium
rawhide, paint, and leather ties
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
14 in x 14 in x 22 in
- Collection Area
Native American Art
- Category
Plains
Containers and Vessels
- Object Type
box
- Cultural Group
Lakota
- Credit Line
The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection
- Accession Number
89.52.7
- Copyright
no known copyright restrictions
- Terms
Plains Indian people frequently made lightweight rawhide containers to hold a variety of objects. Flat envelopes and cylinders were the most common shapes, although the Lakota frequently made boxes. As part of their household duties, women laboriously made and decorated these containers from buffalo hide or cowhide that had been dried and scraped of their hair. Once the rawhide was processed, it was cut into a predetermined pattern and then folded and laced into shape. Painted geometric designs usually ornament the rawhide containers.