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“Hair bows” is the designation for American Indian paired head ornaments. These ornaments were popular during the first half of the 19th century among many tribes of the Northern Plains. They were attached to small braids at the temples or along the hairline and secured with wooden pins. During the second half of the 19th century, they came out of fashion among most tribes. However, the Crow Indians continued to use them and still do to this day.

Achieving true historical accuracy requires a ruthless commitment to material truth that few modern makers manage to sustain. This analysis deconstructs the seven primary “sins”—from inauthentic materials to sterile design—that compromise the integrity of Plains and Woodland reproductions. It serves as a necessary intervention for those seeking to bridge the gap between amateur mimicry and the soulful reality of 18th and 19th-century craftsmanship.

Beads manufactured nowadays differ from those made one or two hundred years ago, particulary in colour shades and shape. Antique beads were all of European origin and made of glass. The articless discusses history of seed and pony beads and differences between historic and modern beads colours and shapes. It contains images of many Plains Indians pre-reservation items and list of the most widespread 19th century bead colours.

Since I got a Kibler long rifle, I decided to make a case for it. The rifle suffers a lot on reenacting camps and a case can help, is practical and can be nice. The choice fell on a gun case in the Indian style of the Athabascan speaking tribes. Such gun cases are simple, historically accurate and practical as well as pretty.

This article examines the history, manufacture, and cultural significance of woollen cloth with white undyed “saved lists,” a distinctive feature highly valued by the Plains Indians from the 18th to 19th centuries. It explores the English origins of the cloth, traditional natural dyes (notably indigo and cochineal), the economic reasons for preserving undyed selvedges, and how Indigenous peoples transformed these waste edges into prominent decorative and symbolic elements. The persistence of this design feature—maintained even after synthetic dyes rendered the practice obsolete—reflects both its aesthetic appeal and its enduring role in trade relations.

Strike-a-light bags, common among 19th-century Plains Indians, served both practical and decorative purposes, protecting fragile steel fire strikers while showcasing intricate beadwork, tin cone ornaments, and tribal designs. Originating likely among the Kiowa and Comanche, these trapezoidal leather pouches—often made of tough commercial cowhide—were crafted primarily by women and traded widely across the Plains, becoming both utilitarian tools and works of art.

Brain tanning is an ancient, natural method of hide processing once used worldwide and preserved most notably by Native American cultures. This article explains the principles of brain tanning, outlines the traditional Plains Indian process step by step, and compares the properties of brain-tanned leather with industrially produced leather. It also addresses common myths and highlights the variability and craftsmanship inherent in this traditional technology.

The quill-wrapped horsehair (QWHH) technique is a rare and highly demanding form of North American Indigenous quillwork, likely originating among the Crow and Plateau tribes in the early 19th century. Using porcupine quills wrapped around single or double bundles of horsehair, it creates distinctive three-dimensional embroidery for garments, buffalo robe strips, moccasins, and other items. Surviving examples are extremely scarce, found mainly in museum and private collections, and valued for their technical complexity, aesthetic uniqueness, and cultural significance.

Quillwork—the art of decorating with the quills of the North American porcupine—is among the oldest and most significant artistic techniques of the Indigenous peoples of North America. It was far more than mere decoration; the patterns carried profound spiritual symbolism, reflecting cosmology and the cosmic order, while conveying blessings, protection, and vital life force to their wearers.

War shirts are some of the most beautiful artifacts plains indians produced. They were not just interesting and attractive pieces of outerwear, but rather a sign of social status. Only distinguished warriors had the right to wear such kind of shirts. The article discusses the meaning of war shirts, constructions details, importance of four beaded or quilled strips, meaning of human scalp locks, ermine tubes and leather fringes, pigment painting, pictographs and many more.