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Saddle Bag

Date
c.1900
Current Location
Not on view
Dimensions
116 × 28 in. (294.6 × 71.1 cm)
Credit Line
The Donald Danforth Jr. Collection, Gift of Mrs. Donald Danforth Jr.
Rights
Public Domain
Object Number
72:2010
NOTES
Pausing only to spend the cold season near a river that supplied water and nearby trees for wood, nomadic Plains tribes followed the buffalo from year to year. Many storage containers were created to carry personal possessions during traveling season. Saddlebags like this one were thrown over the horse or loaded in the travois, a triangle-shaped frame that was dragged behind the horse. The lower portions of the bags were sealed and items packed through a long slit in the side. They were decorated in Plains Indian fashion with glass beads, long fringe that swayed as the horse moved, and small brass bells that made a pleasant sound when the horse walked.

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