Leather pouch

[pepperj]

I have had this for awhile now and it pulls the neck hairs a tad in an ID.
Given the fact that the estate items were in pristine shape.WWl leather belt snake buckle, WWll machete & sheath were showroom condition.
I feel this has history with the outside sheath is hardening up, the inside pouch is soft still.
Now the question: Was this Native made craft, or just an artist working with leather?
If anyone has an opinion on this please feel free to give me some feedback.

 

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[ARC]

My guess is it is a Native made piece... but i have nothing but instinct to base this upon.

My 2 cents.

 

[pepperj]

Same as me, just a feeling.

 

[bill from lachine]

Jim,

Gut feeling also but I'd say native....I doubt a leather worker other than natives would have added the tassels.

I'll see if I can provide a link to have it checked over by a pro.

Here's a link for the McCord Museum in Montreal. They have an extensive collection of Native artifacts so maybe they could give their opinion.

https://www.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/contact-us/

 

[H.P.]

I’m guessing native made tourist piece, I doubt everyday goods would be elaborately decorated..one of the islands, the name escapes me, of the one I was thinkin or...maybe Australia.aborigines.?

 

[WHADIFIND]

...^...
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Kinda reminds me of a sort of "chest plate" I saw Geronimo wearing in one of the movies I watched once.

 

[ArfieBoy]

I don't know! But it is really cool!

 

[KEYSHUNTER]

are the tassles feathers...if not fake or repro plus small stuff was considered holy, helpfull looks like a heavy metal band logo.....they may paint something like that on there mustang ,but looks like brass knuckles on a ridge...dead end canyon??

 

[dognose]

My two cent is I would have to agree its a tourist trade item.

First I think the stitching is not as refined as what I would expect from an old Native American relic


The non use of a motif of a bird or other animal effigy is different. This looks more like the dressed out beef


I would wonder about the feathers too. A true old relic would likely be eagle or hawk. Its still against the law to have the eagle feathers if I recall.


back in the early 90s I recall Ben Thompson having an early war bonnet and it was turkey feathers modified to look like eagle.

 

[joshuaream]

I'm going to lean another way and say maybe Mexican, or more recent "Cowboy & Indian" decorative (1950's-1970's.) Road trips out west were vacation trips for people born in the 1940's & 1950's and every rest stop along the highway from Kansas to California sold Indian stuff, and art/shop classes occasionally made stuff like that.

That stitch work with the wide leather pieces just isn't typical from what I have seen of early Native American work, even for touristy stuff. Those flowery, braided tassels are also different than what you see on typical Native American work (pre-reservation, or post reservation.)

Once volume picked up, places started sourcing cheaper items from south of the border.

 

[RGINN]

I thought Mexican made tourist trade item. I don't know what a practical use would be, but maybe just decorative. Cool thing anyway.

 

[unclemac]

it looks North African to me, perhaps a Tuareg piece. The tassels do not strike me as NA, nor does the design.

 

[Peyton Manning]

Ok I cannot prove this, but....
Looks to me like the wallets that young squatch make for their parents to carry their drivers license. They don’t have pockets you know.

 

[pepperj]

Thanks for all the input folks.
I guess when time allows and times change I'll show it to someone in person.
The other items purchased from the estate were really well cared for, so the condition of the leathers don't show the true age.
This item the outside sheath is getting hard/dry micro cracking on the back.
Leave as is-or put some type of wax/oil to preserve/soften up the leather?
Any suggestions on what one should use if I was to apply something?

 

[Buckleberry]

I use 50/50 beeswax and petroleum jelly to waterproof, soften my leather shoes.