Plateau Flag Pictorial Beaded Pouch

ca. 1970's

.25" H x 19.5" L with Fringe x 12.25" W

Hand Crafted Leather Large Pouch with Glass Seed Beads of an Eagle, the American Flag and with Hide fringe from a Yakima WA Tribe

In Very Good Condition 

Plateau Flag Pictorial Beaded Pouches are a distinctive style of Native American beadwork originating from the Plateau region of the Pacific Northwest (encompassing tribes such as the Yakima, Nez Perce, Spokane, and Coeur d'Alene). These pouches, often called "flat bags" or "pouches," date primarily from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, though examples persist into the 1920s and beyond. They are crafted from soft hide (like buckskin or brain-tanned leather) and decorated with vibrant glass seed beads in geometric or pictorial motifs. The "flag" element typically refers to depictions of the American flag, symbolizing cultural exchange, patriotism, or historical influences from U.S. assimilation policies during the reservation era. "Pictorial" indicates narrative scenes, such as flags combined with eagles, stars, horses, flowers, or landscapes, reflecting the artist's storytelling through beadwork.