Knife and Scabbard

European traders introduced metal knives to many of the various Plains tribes. Before European trading, knives were made from flint, obsidian, and bison bones. An important tool used in everyday life, knife scabbards were decorated with porcupine quills and glass beads.
This item demonstrates a zigzag technique, probably the original method used in quillwork. Zigzag remains the simplest and most natural form of quillwork.