Hand Braided Polychrome Rawhide Quirt by Luis Ortega

Offered here for your consideration is a great, hand braided, polychrome rawhide and leather quirt by the well known rawhide artist, Luis Ortega. This wonderful quirt is made with finely woven browns, reds and natural rawhide colors. On the inside of the popper, it is signed and dated by Luis Ortega and on the inside of the other popper it has the person's name who ordered it. 
MAKER: Luis Ortega. It has been said that Luis B. Ortega brought California's vaquero traditions into the 20th century. Ortega's great-great-grandfather arrived with the first Spanish expedition to California in 1769. The Ortegas raised cattle near Santa Barbara for four generations, but by the time Luis was born in 1897 the family's ranch had been sold. Fernando Librado, a Chumash Indian, passed on to Luis his knowledge of how to select, prepare, and cut rawhide, as well as how to braid it into practical works of art. Ortega worked as a vaquero before taking up rawhide braiding as a full-time occupation in 1932. By the mid-1960s, Ortega no longer made working gear for vaqueros, but continued to create pieces for collectors. In 1986, the National Endowment for the Arts recognized Luis Ortega as a Master Traditional Artist.
APPROX AGE: Dated 1974.
SIZE: Measures 29 inches long overall. 
CONDITION: Good for its age with normal wear and minor imperfections expected. Please look closely at the pictures as they are an important part of our description and are hereby incorporated into the description, specifically with regards to condition.