Plateau – Nez Perce Fully Beaded Flat Kiowa Bag

ca. 1890

Beaded Bag – 9.5″ H x 7.75″ W + 6″ L Beaded Fringe – Total Height 15.5″

Hand Crafted Hide Bag with Glass Seed Beads Beaded on Both Sides with Geometric Floral Motif and Glass Seed Bead Fringe

Overall in Very Good Condition

Plateau and Nez Perce beadwork on flat bags is renowned for its technical precision and the evolution from geometric to highly realistic pictorial designs. These bags were often crafted as “friendship” gifts between women, serving as symbols of status and cultural identity.

A signature Plateau technique where beads are sewn in concentric rows that follow the outline of a central figure. This creates a sense of movement and depth, particularly in floral and animal motifs.

Often used for backgrounds or large filled areas, this technique involves tacking down strings of beads every two or three beads to ensure they lie perfectly flat against the material. Primarily used for geometric designs, this involves sewing parallel “lanes” of beads. While more common in Plains beadwork, it was used by Plateau groups for banded borders or traditional Transmontane geometric patterns. Some early-to-mid 20th-century bags utilize a padded technique to create a 3D effect for specific motifs, such as horse heads or floral centers.