050809-22 Rare Four Color Mission pictorial basket, snake and eagle motifs, etc ex-Phillip Boyd collection (first Mayor of Palm Springs); c 1920
3 3/4" x 10 1/4"
Large central eagle (or condor) with spread wings surrounded by three bolts of lightning. Between the lightning bolts is a completely realized diamondback rattlesnake with forked tongue near eagles shoulder. Three other symbols (clouds?) along sides.
The original collector of this basket was Phillip Boyd* who was the first mayor of Palm Springs (1938-1942) and was reputedly the first Anglo married in Palm Springs in 1926 and gave land to the county for the building of the Living Desert Museum. Juncus, dyed juncus, sumac. The fourth color-a deep red brick brown could be an under-dyed juncus or perhaps yucca root. Uncommon use of four colors: dyed juncus (black), natural juncus (red/gold), sumac (aged to light tan/gold) and the undetermined dark brown.
050809-22