Great Plains Milking Knife With A Deer-antler Handle And Its Beaded Sheath

Blackfeet, Cree, or Assiniboine
Circa 1860–1885

Set consisting of an antique trading knife preserved with its original beaded sheath. The wrought-iron blade features a beautiful patina of age and is mounted on a deer antler handle that retains its natural shape. A brass ferrule connects the blade to the handle. The set exhibits remarkable consistency in craftsmanship and patina, characteristic of Native American mountings from the second half of the 19th century.

The tanned leather sheath is adorned on its front with a design of micro-beads of glass executed with great skill. The turquoise, yellow, green, white, and dark brown bands are arranged around geometric and cruciform motifs characteristic of artifacts from the northern Great Plains. The reverse side retains a beautiful patina from use, while the suspension cord is adorned with a beaded pendant ending in several metal cones trimmed with red-dyed horsehair strands. 

This piece bears a striking resemblance to the example featured on the cover of John Baldwin’s book, *Early Knives & Beaded Sheaths of the American Frontier* (1997, p. 14), presented under the title “Classic Early Knife & Beaded Sheath.” Both sets share the characteristic elements of this family of knives: a milking knife blade, a deer antler handle, a metal ferrule, and a beaded sheath. The example presented here, however, stands out for the balance of its composition, the richness of its beaded decoration, and the excellent condition of the entire set.

Comparisons with this reference publication, as well as with the knives published in the Mark Francis Collection (Sotheby’s), place this set among the most sought-after examples from the Great Plains of the second half of the 19th century.

Provenance

Formerly in the Bernard Souteyrand Collection (1944–2025). Assembled over nearly forty years, this private French collection is renowned for the quality of its North American First Nations artifacts. Several pieces have been featured in publications and public exhibitions.