A circa 1890 plains Sioux beaded war shirt achieved $32,500 at Heritage Auctions on December 13.

Shirts like these were originally worn by warriors

The lot is decorated with tassels of human hair and American flag motifs - believed to have been incorporated as totemic symbols.

Heritage Auctions' director of American art, Delia E Sullivan, explained its appeal: "This is a really important piece, in part because, it's a war shirt - a very masculine object.

"Collectors love weapons and things related to warriors, and this shirt falls into that category. Plus, it's pictorial - it has American flags worked into the bead patterns, which everyone likes."