Early Twentieth Century Shallow Apache Basketry Bowl [SOLD]

Western Apache basketry of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is the best basketry of the Southwestern tribes and they are treasured by museums and collectors.  The Western Apaches were not a single tribe but consisted of five separate and completely independent tribes—the Cibecue, San Carlos, White Mountain, and Northern and Southern Tonto.  They are now considered collectively as Western Apache.

Basket makers of those Apache tribes made some of the largest ollas and bowls of any tribe of the Southwest.  They also were some of the finest baskets made. For the commercial market, basket makers originally made baskets of the sizes with which they were familiar, sizes consistent with what they made for their own use.  Later, they began making smaller ones for the tourists and collectors.

As is traditional, the beginning of a basket is a dark brown design or circle from which the design would slowly grow.  It is rare for an Apache basket to not start with a series of coils in brown. From that beginning, the design pattern develops.  In this one, the design pattern consists of what may be described as a floral element outlined in alternating bands of yellow, brown, yellow, brown.  Between the petals are dark brown crosses possibly representing bees or other nectar seekers. The next design is an expanding floral pattern that is outlined in brown, yellow, brown bands which define the petals.  Elements of dark brown V-shapes possibly represent birds. A dark brown rim completes the basket.

Condition: this Early Twentieth Century Shallow Apache Basketry Bowl is in excellent condition

Provenance: from the collection of a gentleman from Colorado

Recommended Reading: Southwestern Indian Baskets: Their History and Their Makers by Andrew Hunter Whiteford

Relative Links: Native American Baskets, Apache Tribe