19th C. Cheyenne Dag Knife with Poured Lead Inlaid Handle and Beaded Sheath

Native American, Cheyenne. A broad iron dag knife and its beaded hide sheath. The flat blade has an undulating spine and a sweeping edge that rises to the point. It is set into a cylindrical wooden handle inlaid with poured lead of nearly pure composition. The lead caps both ends of the grip and runs down the grain in heavy zigzags, chevrons, and forked lines, so the gray metal sits against the warm wood like lightning crossing a plank. The sheath front is beaded in sky blue, red, green, white, and cobalt in crisp geometric fields: equal-armed crosses, radiating spokes, and stepped triangles. The tip ends in a bead-wrapped tab hung with hide fringe, red beads, and slender tubes. The plain hide back has a beaded border and a long thong for tying the sheath at the belt. On the Great Plains, people decorated wood by pouring molten lead into channels carved into it. The technique appears on pipe stems, war clubs, tomahawk hafts, and knife handles. The metal often came from trade bar lead or melted bullets. It was heated, poured into the grooves, and left to cool, so that it locked into the wood. The result was a bright, hard-wearing pattern that could be made far from any European workshop. On this handle the lead also caps both ends of the grip, which binds the tang and protects the wood where it meets the blade. "Dag" was a trade-era name for heavy, broad-bladed knives and daggers. Fur companies and frontier traders supplied these blades in large numbers. Iron blades reached Plains peoples through the fur trade and later through reservation-era supply, and owners often reworked or rehafted them to suit themselves. The holes along this blade fit that history of reuse. Knife sheaths were among the most heavily decorated pieces of personal gear. They were worn at the belt every day, so their beadwork was adornment as much as protection for the blade. Cheyenne beadwork is known for tightly packed rows of lazy stitch, crisp geometric designs, and a palette built on sky-blue and white grounds with red and green accents. All of these appear on this sheath. The crosses and radiating designs may carry directional or protective meaning, but such readings are rarely documented for individual pieces. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 206027

Estimate:$500

View all items fromArtemis Fine ArtsorMedals, Arms & Armor