Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Parfleche flat case

ca. 1850
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Parfleche flat case
  • Date: ca. 1850
  • Geography: Possibly made in Texas, United States; Possibly made in Oklahoma, United States
  • Culture: Comanche, Native American
  • Medium: Bison rawhide, pigment, and tanned leather
  • Dimensions: 33 × 11 1/2 in. (83.8 × 29.2 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.456.16
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
Man's moccasins, Tanned leather, glass beads, and pigment, Comanche, Native American
Man's moccasins
Comanche, Native American
ca. 1870
Pair of parfleche envelopes, Rawhide, pigment, and tanned leather, Blackfoot, Blood or Siksika, Native American
On loan to The Met
Pair of parfleche envelopes
Blackfoot, Blood or Siksika, Native American
ca. 1890
Cradleboard, Tanned leather, rawhide, wood, pigment, glass beads, wool cloth, cotton cloth, brass tacks, and brass link chain, Kiowa, Native American
Cradleboard
Kiowa, Native American
ca. 1875
Parfleche, Rawhide, pigment, Native-tanned skin ties, Cheyenne
Parfleche
Cheyenne
ca. 1875
Faw Faw Coat, Wool, cotton, glass, silk, Oto-Missouria
Faw Faw Coat
Oto-Missouria
ca. 1900

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.