RARE Plains Native American 9" Bison Bone Hide Scrapper w/12+ Petroglyphs! AACA

Description

Houghton USA
Ancient Art, Antiques, & Fine
Collectibles
RARE Native American 9” Hide Scrapper/Finisher
Buffalo Bone Hand Tool with 12+ Painted Petroglyphs
Central Plains, USA
c. 1750—1870 Historic Period
eBay Notes:
This antique tool is made from the scapula of a buffalo, which is
NOT
an endangered species and is legal to list and sell on eBay.
Bison are not listed as a threatened or endangered species. Approximately 30,000 bison currently live in public and private herds in North America; they are managed for conservation goals.
I certify that this Native American buffalo bone hide scrapper/finisher was reportedly a surface find on private land in the Central Plains, USA, with the landowner’s permission in the early 1970s.
No caves, graves, or mounds were disturbed.
NOTE:
Collection of any artifacts found on federal/state land or from caves, graves, or mounds is now strictly prohibited by federal law, the
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 .
NOTE:
This ancient Native American artifact predates 1600, and is legal to buy/sell/own under the U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and it is guaranteed to be as described.
NOTE:
I am a proud member of the Authentic Artifact Collectors Association (AACA) and Guarantee each artifact I sell to be original and authentic!
Summary
Item:
Native American Bison Hide Finisher
Find Location:
Central Plains, US
Material:
Buffalo bone scapula
Length:
9.00”
Width:
4.20”
Thickness: 2” tapered to just .09”
Weight:
10.1 oz. (286 gr)
This historical and extremely RARE Native American Plains tool with painted pictographs is made from the scapula of a buffalo, also called a bison.
It is 9” long and appears to have been used by the left hand, as that is where the thumb groove fits the hand.
The lower end of the tool has a well-worn, scrapping edge that narrows to just .09” or about the thickness of a knife blade.
For millennia and until the end of the 19th century, women in Native American Plains tribes specialized in tanning buffalo hides on a large scale.
They crafted hand tools to aid in the long process of tanning bison hides, and often passed the tools down to their daughters and granddaughters.
During the brain-tanning process, women worked the bison hides by removing fur and fat, and made them into clothing and shelters. This hand tool would have been used in thinning or finishing the hides.
The top part of the bone tool has a well-worn groove that appears to perfectly fit the thumb of the left hand.
{See photos.}
There are approximately 12 petroglyphs/graphics painted in black pigment on one side of this historic tool.
I have attempted to circle on the macro photos I’ve taken and identify the graphics that I can.
The black pigment paint has bled into the bison bone, so it is difficult to make out some of the graphic symbols.
{See below for details.}
Petroglyphs
There are approximately 12 petroglyphs/graphics painted in black pigment on one side of this historic scrapper tool made of buffalo bone.
The Plains tribes had no written language, but instead used painted or incised images that graphically presented the meaning.
Tools for working with animal hides were often passed down from mother to daughter for generations.
This graphics on this bison bone tool were likely painted by the women who owned and used it on a regular basis, and the graphics served as a form of identification when several women would be working on a single bison hide.
I have attempted to circle the graphics on the macro photos I’ve taken, and identify the ones that I can.
The black pigment paint has bled into the bison bone, so it is difficult to make out some of the graphic symbols.
But here are some examples of what I have deciphered.
·
.43” Humans {See photos # 10-11.}
·
.80” Animal--Bison
·
.42” Arrow kills Bison
·
Several Bison {See photo # 8.}
·
Spirit Birds {See photo # 6.}
·
Dog on the large, blunt end of the bone. {See photo # 5.}
Historical Background
For millennia and until the end of the 19
th
century, women in Native American Plains tribes specialized in tanning buffalo hides on a large scale.
They crafted hand tools to aid in the long process of tanning bison hides.
This RARE example of a bison tool with pictographs
Indians of the northern Plains wore buffalo hides for both practical and ceremonial purposes. They wore buffalo hides in winter, with the fur on the inside for warmth. When people were sick, they often wore a hide painted with symbols to hasten healing. Women sometimes wore painted hides to promote childbearing. Political and spiritual leaders wore special hides. These hides might depict a warrior's heroism or record important events in the history of the tribe.
Women often wore hides that they painted with geometric patterns and shapes. While men usually wore hides that told a story in pictures.
Some tribes used hide paintings to record their history. Tribal leaders chose the single most important event of each year, and added one picture representing that event to the hide painting. Members of the tribe often identified the year they were born by referring to the event depicted on these "winter count" hides.
Resources
·
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, WDC
·
National Museum of the American Indian, WDC
·
Brain Tanning Buffalo Hides
, by Markus Klek
NOTE:
We are a proud member of the Authentic Artifact Collectors Association (AACA) and Guarantee each artifact we sell to be original and authentic!
Please examine the attached photos carefully as they are part of the description and bid accordingly.
Photos taken indoors & outdoors. The ruler is not part of the sale, just there so you can better judge the size.
Note:  Each object I sell is professionally researched and compared with similar objects in the collections of the finest museums in the world.
I have been dealing in fine antiquities for almost 50 years and although certainly not an expert in every field, I have been honored to appraise, buy, collect, and enjoy and recently sell some of the finest ancient art in the world.
When in doubt, I have worked with dozens of subject matter experts to determine the condition and authenticity of numerous antiquities and antiques.
This documentation helps to insure you are buying quality items and helps to protect your investment.
I offer a full
Money-Back Guarantee
if a recognized authority in antiquities disputes the authenticity of this fine artifact.
Please ask any questions you may have
before
you bid!
All sales are Final, unless I have seriously misrepresented this item!
Please look at the macro photos carefully as they are part of the description.
Member of the Authentic Artifact Collectors Association (AACA) & the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)
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