This brightly beaded 26 ½” x 4 ¼” floral strip or belt (TEH.F9.2) is from the estate of the late Chester Howard. Previously glued into a decorative frame with insoluble glue, the strip was noted by Howard to have been acquired in Montana and was either Crow or Northern Cheyenne in origin. Dating into the mid-20th century and in overall good condition with just 18 or so white seed beads missing along one row, the backing is a black cloth with print design illustrating blond-headed children at pla ...click for details
Collected in 1961 by the late Chester Howard, founder of the Colorado Mineral Society in the 1930s, this 8” x 12” frame (TEH13) contains three strands of shell, truquoise, lapis, glass and coral beads, along with a 2” long silver arrowhead-shaped pendant that holds a coral cabochon. The contents of the frame are in overall very good condition, and in spite of the silver point being bent and the tip rolled back about ¼” under the body of the pendant, the silver does not appear to be cracked or ot ...click for details
In spite of heavy wear on the soles of these early 20th century beaded moccasins (TEH.F8.2), the bold geometric beadwork has stood up quite well. From the collection of the late Chester Howard, the mocs were noted on the frame to which Howard had glued them as possibly Sioux. The adult moccasins measure 10” in length. Originally sinew sewn, the front half of each of the worn soles have been covered with hide that is held in place with heavy cotton thread. The moccasin leather is quite stiff and ...click for details
This earlier 20th century beaded circular bag (TEH.F9.4) is from the collection of the late Chester Howard. Measuring just a bit more than 4 ¼” from top to bottom, round bags of this style were called medallion pouches for the early Indian Peace Medals they were designed to hold. The beadwork is in overall good condition, but the leather itself is rather stiff and has a small tear and hole on its lower backside. It also has some spots of light discoloration on the back where Howard applied glue ...click for details
Although sinew sewn and quilled in the Sioux style, there is a question about whether this large and colorful bag (TEH.F1.1) was really Native American made. It appears to date into the mid-20th century, but at least one collector and dealer has expressed the opinion that it could have been made as a Boy Scout project, although another thought it was simply of late vintage. Probably no way of really knowing, but a potential buyer should consider this if looking for a bag that was unquestionably ...click for details
Removed from a decorative frame put together by the late Chester Howard, it is not known whether or not this beaded wrist or belt bag (TEH.F3.1) is Native American made. The faceted, inside painted beads would indicate the bag dates to the early 20th century. The inside of the bag is lined with a silk-like gray fabric. The design on the bag, with several ears of corn, seems to indicate Native American influence, but the style is not one that we recognize, thus the question. The bag is in overall ...click for details
This spectacular hand-carved 17” long ‘ceremonial club’ (KJH87) was purchased by Ken Hladek in March 2003 (as he recalls, it was an estate sale and the item number was 0962..."INDIAN TRADE WAR CLUB - LUKA) at a Lolli Brothers auction in Macon, Missouri. The only information that came with this lethal-looking weapon was a note that it was from the William R. Gauld collection of Elmo, Montana, a town located well within the boundaries of the Flathead Indian reservation. Many other items offer ...click for details
Although these well-preserved and obviously used beaded arm bands (TEH.F1.2) were attached with insoluble glue to a decorative frame by the late Chester Howard, they suffered no damage when removed. A great example of the type with strong, colorful geometric designs, the sinew sewn matched pair is attributed to the Sioux and date to the early 20th century. The untied bands measure about 11 ½” in length by 2 ¼” in width. The pair comes with a small display card, a biographical write-up about Howa ...click for details
This nicely decorated 5” x 6 ½” beaded bag (TEH.F31.1) is from the Chester Howard collection. The flexible hide, soiled but in overall good condition, has some residual traces of glue that was used by Howard to attach the bag to a decorative frame. There are a few loops of beads missing along one edge at the top of the bag, a few missing along one side just below the drawstring, and a small patch of glue on the inside at the top of the bag where a daub had been applied by Howard to keep the bag ...click for details
This sinew sewn and tinkler decorated beaded bag (TEH.F33.2) has been identified as a Northern Plains style strike-a-lite bag dating from the early to the mid 20th century. In overall good condition and piece that displays well, the leather is fairly stiff and the back of the 3 ¼” x 4 ¼” bag (not counting the tinklers or beaded thongs) has a couple of small holes, one from apparent wear, and the other from splitting. The top flap of the bag is held closed with a brittle strip of leather that has ...click for details
