Basket Item Number: A2.597 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Cigarette case and cover. Twined weave and cross warp openwork twined weave with overlay embroidery. Cover design: two triangles, contiguous at vertex with line at point of contact. Case design in symmetric colour arrangement. Colours: red, blue, turquoise, rose.
History Of Use
Basketry cases were made during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries solely for the export market, and they could take four to six months to complete, with the weaver working several hours a day. Women allowed their thumbnails to grow long to aid in the lengthy process of splitting the grass materials, and skilled weavers could produce four usable strands from a single blade.
Narrative
Collected by the father of Mrs. Smith in 1912.
Specific Techniques
American dunegrass (wild rye or Leymus mollis) was cut, bleached, dried and split into very thin strands and then lightly twisted to use in the weaving of this basketry item. Geometric designs were added using a false embroidery technique.
Item History
- Made in Attu Island, Alaska, USA before 1912
- Collected during 1912
- Owned by Mrs. Smith before July 1959
- Received from Mrs. Smith (Donor) during July 1959
What
- Name
- Basket
- Identification Number
- A2.597 a-b
- Type of Item
- basket
- Material
- wild rye grass, silk fibre and dye
- Manufacturing Technique
- twined and embroidered
- Overall
- height 1.2 cm, width 12.7 cm, depth 8.9 cm
Who
- Culture
- Aleut
- Previous Owner
- Mrs. Smith
- Received from
- Mrs. Smith (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Attu Island, Alaska, USA
When
- Creation Date
- before 1912
- Collection Date
- during 1912
- Ownership Date
- before July 1959
- Acquisition Date
- during July 1959
Other
- Item Classes
- basketry
- Condition
- excellent
- Current Location
- Case 47
- Accession Number
- 0002/0001 a-b