Parfleche flat case
Not on view
This flat rawhide case, called a parfleche, was used to transport important belongings from one camp to the next. Its surface provides a luminous ground for the painted bold, colorful geometric shapes and delicate, black and brown graphic elements. The case would be hung from the pommel of a saddle, with the long fringe registering the movements of both horse and wind. Plains women also made parfleche cylinders, envelopes, and boxes; the term originated with French fur traders.
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