Vintage Plains Tiny Knife and Sheath

As long as my dad's father was living, he'd buy Dad some kind of a toy every single Christmas - even when Dad was a middle aged man. Granddad believed that we're never too old to play. 

While this tiny Plains knife and beaded sheath isn't actually a Christmas ornament, it was for Martha Struever once she died on a little green ribbon.

This would have been the kind of Christmas present my own father adored - a teeny replica of a real knife and sheath. 

While tiny, the knife and sheath are still handmade. Miniature Plains knives like this one were made throughout the mid-20th century by Lakota, Dakota, Cheyenne, Crow, and Plateau artists. They weren’t toys so much as small, handmade keepsakes — the kind of work sold in trading posts, museum gift shops, and fairs.

Even in this small size, the details are amazing! The sheath is done in a classic Plains beadwork technique. Each bead is ridiculously small. It's hard to comprehend until you see it in person. The teeny tiny knife has a hand-cut metal blade with a pinned wooden handle. Again, this isn't a child's toy. The knife is very sharp! All together, it's a miniature version of the full-sized sheaths and trade knives carried across the Plains. So very, very cool!

Re-imagined as a Christmas ornament - classic Martha Struever!

Since Marti Struever had two sons, you wonder if she initially collected this piece for them, so that they could have a little bit of that Christmas fun (hopefully without stabbing each other). Whatever the case, you'd have found this wonderful piece of artwork hanging from one of her Christmas trees year after year.

The sheath measures 3 7/8" while the little knife measures 3 3/4" to the handle and 2 3/4" blade.