Parfleche Envelope

The parfleche—a container of folded or sewn rawhide elaborated with drawn and painted designs over the exposed surfaces—constitutes one of the great traditions of American Indian painting. Created by women and used for the storage and transport of families’ belongings, these light, unbreakable, weather resistant containers were integral to the nomadic life of Plains and Plateau peoples. Lakota parfleches are distinguished by their bold designs, saturated color and heavy black outlining. Most of the surface was covered with colored forms, and unpainted areas were integrated within the design as smaller, repeated elements. The symbolic composition of this envelope was favored and often repeated by Lakota women. The diamonds forming the principal element of the painting were said to represent the turtle or the breast of a turtle, a creature intimately connected with women’s sacred power.