Basket

An Indigenous woman artist made this basket, in early 20th century California, using locally harvested materials including grasses and roots, gathered through a deeply complex understanding of the local ecology. Harvesting is just the beginning of a long process of the preparation of materials that must happen before each artist can sit down to weave. This basket shows a range of motifs, from abstract to figural as well as added red yarn embellishment, a creative use of imported materials.