A Plains man carried both tobacco and a pipe in this pipe bag. A pipe bag was as important as a
horse or a weapon for a man going into battle. The undecorated portion of hide at the top of the
bag was tucked under and flapped over a belt.
Glass beads strung on a thread and stitched on the bag form this design. Glass beads were
introduced to Native Americans by European fur traders, and because they were easy to use and easy
to find they gradually replaced quills as the most common form of decoration. The quills that adorn
this bag came from a porcupine. The quills were flattened and dyed, then wrapped around strips of
rawhide and stitched in place. |