Parfleche Envelope
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Parfleche painting was central to Cheyenne women’s arts guilds. Older women recognized for their skill, character, and spiritual knowledge mentored younger artists, and this practice resulted in the uniformly high standards seen on this envelope. Graphic elements, such as elongated hourglass forms and the negative space around them, are balanced and unified; their interaction creates a sense of visual tension. Throughout the composition, a translucent pale blue color is contrasted with deep yellow and rusty black.
Artwork Details
- Title: Parfleche Envelope
- Date: ca. 1865
- Geography: United States, Colorado
- Culture: Southern Cheyenne
- Medium: Buffalo rawhide, pigment
- Dimensions: Length: 29 in. (73.7 cm)
Width: 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm) - Classification: Hide-Containers
- Credit Line: Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago (67468)
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing