Pair Of Fully Beaded Lakota (sioux) Loafers

Northern Great Plains, likely Lakota (Sioux)

Circa 1890–1910

Leather, glass beads, metal, and remnants of feathers or dyed fibers.

A beautiful, antique pair of Native American moccasins from the Northern Great Plains, likely of Lakota (Sioux) origin, made in the late 19th or very early 20th century.

The moccasins are made of supple leather and feature remarkable all-over beading, composed of a multitude of small white glass beads forming the background of the design.

Against this background stand out polychrome geometric motifs in red, cobalt blue, and green, arranged in triangles, broken lines, and symmetrically placed elements on the uppers. The decoration extends down the sides and to the tip of the foot, where the rows of beads follow the rounded shape of the moccasin.

The detailing on the instep is particularly striking. Each moccasin features three narrow strips of leather, entirely beaded and adorned with red and blue geometric patterns. These strips end in small metal cones, several of which still bear traces of red ornamentation—likely feathers or dyed fibers.

The combination of leather, white-background beading, brightly colored geometric patterns, and metal pendants finds parallels in the works of the Great Plains peoples around 1900.

The construction, the fineness of the beads, the color palette, and the arrangement of the decoration allow this pair to be linked to the Northern Great Plains, with a probable attribution to the Lakota.

The soles show clearly visible signs of age-related wear, indicating that the moccasins were worn. The leather retains a beautiful patina, with natural variations in color, slight irregularities, and some losses in the ornamentation. Nevertheless, the pair remains particularly decorative and cohesive.

These signs of use have been intentionally preserved and fully contribute to the pair’s authenticity and ethnographic character.

Period: circa 1890–1910.