Basket

Item number 2896/2 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Woven cedar bark basket. The base is square with a prominent criss-cross pattern across it, emphasized by interlaced light and dark brown cedar. The sides of the basket rise up from four sharp corners into a rounded body, also with interlaced strips of coloured cedar. The rim is lined on the inside with a roll of cedar and held to the basket by cedar stitching.

History Of Use

Baskets made by plaiting long, narrow strands of the inner bark of the cedar tree were and are common to all First Nations of the Northwest Coast. Such baskets, especially if plaited diagonally like this one, are relatively soft and flexible and therefore well suited to hold a range of materials or foods. A basket of this size could be a container for berry picking, and a large basket or bag could store gear or dried provisions, as well as be folded for travel. Small plaited baskets were also made for sale to tourists and collectors.

Specific Techniques

For this diagonally woven basket, a square bottom is woven, then woven diagonally in the middle of each side, and it changes the corners. This type of weaving was also used for making mats. Like the patterns woven into plaited cedar-bark mats, the plaid or geometric designs are made using strands dyed black by being buried in mud, or red absorbed from the inner bark of red alder.