Tobacco bag

Southern Cheyenne, Native American

Not on view


A prominent man carried sacred tobacco in this embellished bag on formal occasions. For Plains peoples, the smoking of tobacco served as a form of prayer, and the pipe had mythical origins. The banded designs in the central panels likely refer to war honors; for the Cheyenne, this pattern also had spiritual connotations. By the 1860s, tobacco bags had become a standard element of men’s regalia, especially among Central Plains tribes.

Tobacco bag, Tanned leather, pigment, glass beads, metal cones, and horsehair, Southern Cheyenne, Native American

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Tobacco bag, Tanned leather, pigment, glass beads, metal cones, and horsehair, Southern Cheyenne, Native American
Tobacco bag, Tanned leather, pigment, glass beads, metal cones, and horsehair, Southern Cheyenne, Native American

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