Beaded Dress, Sioux, circa 1880

Antique Sioux (Plains Indian) beaded hide dress, circa 1880. This one-of-a-kind, handmade dress is crafted from Native tanned deer hide adorned with glass trade beads embellishing a turquoise, blue-fielded yoke. Meandering beaded design in white-heart red, yellow and dark blue beads along the border of the yoke and accompanying stepped design going from front to back in white-heart red, dark blue, green and yellow. Fringe flows from the bottom of the arms and at the lower edge of the dress. There is red trade cloth that encircles the neckline. The hide is supple and flows nicely.

The Sioux, a Native American people traditionally living in the Great Plains regions of South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana, and are renowned for their artistry in beadwork, particularly in crafting garments like this one.

This dress comes with a custom-made armature, allowing it to hang beautifully on the wall, making it a striking display piece.