This lot features a fantastic, authentic circa 1870s beaded buckskin parfleche lined sheath and pewter inlaid trade knife from the Sioux Native American Indians and the ex-collection of the Jim Aplan, Reverend Joseph Ward Yankton Sioux Indian College Museum and Ben Thompson. This is truly one of the best Indian Wars period knife on the market. The set was collected at the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation by Reverend Joseph Ward and was in the Yankton Sioux Indian College Museum collection that Ward founded himself in Yankton, South Dakota. It was sold to artifact dealer Jim Aplan of Piedmont, South Dakota when the museum closed in 1985. Aplan bought the college’s entire one room museum collection. Aplan sold the knife and sheath to noted collector Ben Thompson, who several years later sold it to the current owner. The sheath is comprised of brain-tanned buckskin on top of a thick, parfleche rawhide Buffalo Bison hide liner and is beautifully beaded in typical 19th Century geometric Sioux colors and designs. The beadwork is all period glass trade seed beads in colors of corn greasy yellow, cobalt, chalk white, greasy medium green, and red. The original tie strap is still attached, and it has a beaded drop ending four hand-rolled tin cone danglers at the bottom. The sheath is sinew sewn, a wonderful indicator of its early age. The fit of the old trade knife into the sheath allows us to believe this is the original knife that was paired with the sheath. The knife has a wooden handle and is adorned with large, artful pewter inlays and brass trade tacks. Truly, a masterfully made artful set that is well preserved from a fantastic collection and of a fine early age. Provenance: From the Reverend Joseph Ward Yankton Indian College Museum, Jim Aplan Piedmont, South Dakota, Ben Thompson and private Missouri family collection of weapons and beadwork. The sheath measures 10 ½ inches in length by 3 ¼ inches wide. The knife measures 13 ½ inches in length.*

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