Dispatch Case

Beaded dispatch cases, similar to strike-a-light bags but larger, were made by Plains peoples during the early reservation era. Constructed from stiff, commercial saddle or boot leather, they were ideal for transporting paper documents, which accounts for their name. Some were undoubtedly used for this purpose, but anthropologists who were collecting objects during the final decades of the 19th century describe them as containers for combs, paint-bags, mirrors and other toiletries. This example is notable for the elegance of its finely beaded design and delicate integration of diverse materials.