White Mountain Apache Deep Basket Bowl [SOLD]

Athapaskan-speaking Apaches and Navajo arrived in the Southwest after 1000 and before 1500—pre-dating arrival of the Spaniards.  They were hunters and gatherers and probably began making baskets from native plants and grasses for the purpose of gathering food.

The Western Apache women are known for beautiful and strong baskets made prior to the 1920s, after which basket making declined in favor of commercial bowls becoming available.  Basketry served many functions for the Apache—gathering, mixing, winnowing, cooking, serving food and washing. They were also used in ceremonial functions and curing rites. A basket bowl turned upside down served as a drum.

The process of basket weaving was coiling the weft material over the heavier rod foundation or warp of the basket.  Designs were created to the likeness of the maker or, more likely, to the limit of the maker’s talent and allotted time.

Willow was the most common material used for the warp or foundation.  Devil’s claw was used for the black decoration and Mulberry was a favored material for the weft or the visible stitch material.

This basket has been noted to have been made on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, located in eastern Arizona, near the town of Show Low.  The White Mountain Apache are one of several Western Apache tribes, each of which has a different language, history, and culture despite being related. They are related to members of the Yavapai Apache Nation, which also has ties to the Grand Canyon.

This basket has a willow rod foundation which provides for a very strong basket.  The design, made from devil’s claw, consists of zigzag lines, reminiscent of the migration of the Apache as they roamed over their vast reservation prior to the arrival of the White invaders.  Historically the White Mountain Apaches were nomadic farmers, growing corn, beans, squash, and other foods for part of the year while supplementing their crops with hunting and gathering of native animals and plants. They had the largest range of any Western Apache tribe and traveled widely throughout what is today east-central Arizona, trading and raiding.

Condition: This White Mountain Apache Deep Basket Bowl appears to be from the 1920s period. It is in very good condition, strong and firm.  There is no evidence of it having been used.

Provenance: from a family estate from Denver, Colorado

Recommended Reading: Apache Indian Baskets by Clara Lee Tanner