Buffalo robe

They were used as blankets, saddles or as trade items by the Native Americans who inhabited the vast grasslands of the Interior Plains.

[1] Some were painted with pictographs or Winter counts that depict important events such as epidemics, famines and battles.

[2] From the 1840s to the 1870s the great demand for buffalo robes in the commercial centers of Montreal, New York, St. Paul and St. Louis was a major factor that led to the near extinction of the species.

The robes were used as blankets and padding in carriages and sleighs and were made into Buffalo coats.

[3] Only hides taken in winter between November and March when the furs are in their prime were suitable for buffalo robes.