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Parfleche Envelope

ca. 1850
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The hallmarks of a classic parfleche are displayed in this Cheyenne envelope. The red, green, and black palette and fine black outlining are typical of the earliest phase of parfleche ornamentation. Two outer flaps, the primary painted surfaces, create a single, continuous image across the upper side of the case. Folded envelopes, the most common form of rawhide container, often appeared in matched pairs that were draped over either side of a packhorse.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Parfleche Envelope
  • Date: ca. 1850
  • Geography: United States, Colorado
  • Culture: Cheyenne
  • Medium: Buffalo rawhide, pigment, native tanned leather
  • Dimensions: Length: 25 3/4 in. (65.4 cm)
    Width: 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
  • Classification: Hide-Containers
  • Credit Line: Private collection
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing