Basket Item Number: Nb11.345 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Oval-shaped basket (a) straight sides, a cedar bark reinforced hoop rim, and a flat-topped, fitted lid (b). Cedar bark plaited base, with three different widths of grass twining. Natural colour with dark purple solid and broken line bands, and two thin yellow bands at basket's mid-point. Set of purple and pink chevron-shaped designs on each side of basket above and below mid-point bands. Ring of purple at shoulder and base. Orange band at base. Lid has concentric ovals of green, yellow, dark purple (solid and broken line) and red around centre of three horizontal lines of red and blue/purple rings. Row of twill twining at base and shoulder of basket, and at edge of lid top.
History Of Use
Before European contact Nuu-chah-nulth baskets were predominately undecorated, all-purpose containers. Checkerwork bags and pouches were used for whaling and fishing gear. Finely woven baskets held liquids and were used to boil food by adding heated stones. By the mid-19th century, when missions and trading posts were well established on the Northwest Coast, the manufacture of functional basketry declined and the Nuu-chah-nulth began to make small decorated 'fancy' baskets for sale. These baskets are characterized by realistic and less frequently, geometric designs. Up to the 1890's Nuu-chah-nulth basketry is open wrapped twined, checkerwork and plain twilled. After this date most are close wrapped twined.
Cultural Context
made for sale
Specific Techniques
Each cedar bark weft on this basket appears to have been split once, and then each resulting weft strand split again.
Item History
- Made in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada before 1976
- Collected during 1900
- Owned by Dorothy Ladner and Edna Ladner before April 12, 1976
- Received from Dorothy Ladner (Donor) and Edna Ladner (Donor) on April 12, 1976
What
- Name
- Basket
- Identification Number
- Nb11.345 a-b
- Type of Item
- basket
- Material
- bear grass ?, grass, cedar bark and aniline dye ?
- Manufacturing Technique
- wrapped twined, twined, twill twined and plaited
- Overall
- height 6.0 cm, width 12.5 cm, depth 8.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- Nuu-chah-nulth
- Previous Owner
- Dorothy Ladner and Edna Ladner
- Received from
- Dorothy Ladner (Donor) and Edna Ladner (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- before 1976
- Collection Date
- during 1900
- Ownership Date
- before April 12, 1976
- Acquisition Date
- on April 12, 1976
Other
- Item Classes
- basketry
- Condition
- good
- Current Location
- Case 9
- Accession Number
- 0299/0024