Pacific Northwest Basketry
Tlingit "rattle top" basket with whale motif; circa 1900
The Tlingit are famous for their fine, colorful, closed twined basketry of spruce root and bear grass (natural and dyed). Often times, small stones were placed in the knob of the lid and would rattle... hence the term "rattle top" is used to describe such as basket.
Most of the Northwest twined basktry is very fragile, and easily is damaged. Matt Wood's AIAA, Inc. specializes in the restoration of Tlingit basketry.
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The Makah and Nootka were among the most prolific weavers of basketry made for sale after 1910 and still weave today. Their baskets are observed to have cedar bark warp and bear grass weft (both natural and dyed). The baskets are usually lidded and depict fish, canoes, birds and mythic figures. The strong colors often fade with age, but usually the interior retainis the original colors, as it does not see daylight. |
Fine Makah lidded basket, Neah Bay, Washington, circa 1910
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Salish basketry - To be Updated Soon!
