Early/Mid 20th Century 7" H + 5" L Beaded Fringe x 4.5" W Only Beaded on One Side with Multi Colored Seed Beads and with Pink and Blue Beaded Fringe and Hide Handle Excellent Condition with Typical Aged Wear Apache beaded hide bags are traditional Native American artifacts created by various Apache tribes, including the Mescalero, Chiricahua, and Western Apache. These bags, often made from brain-tanned buckskin or elk hide, served practical purposes such as carrying tobacco, fire-starting tools (as "strike-a-light" bags), ammunition, or medicines. They are renowned for their intricate beadwork, which features vibrant glass seed beads in colors like red, white, blue, yellow, green, and black, sewn with sinew or thread. Designs typically include geometric patterns—such as stripes, triangles, stars, crosses, or sun motifs—along with fringe, tin cones, and sometimes brass buttons for added decoration and sound. These items date primarily from the mid- to late 19th century, reflecting a blend of pre-contact techniques and European trade goods like glass beads.
