Basket Item Number: Nbz797 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Open, handbag-style, rectangular coiled basket of cedar root with cedar slat foundation and sides. Handle is braided across top of loop work and at rim of basket on short sides. Three rows of wrapped looping below semi-circular handles. Looping is two rows of continuous triangle shapes and a bottom row of looped curls. Beaded and imbricated decoration on sides includes three rows of undyed light brown grass checkerboard design over top and bottom coiled rows. Stylized butterfly-like motif on each end and repeated twice on each side. Each butterfly has four 'wings' of cherry bark beading; each wing is three rows of over one, under one, over two, under one, and over one. Between the wings, top and bottom is one imbrication section of cherry bark and at the centre of the wings is two cherry bark with a grass imbrication element between.

History Of Use

A gradual change is seen in Salish basketry traditions from the 1820's to the 1940's with the decline of utilitarian basket making and the increase in decorated baskets, made for sale or trade.