Vintage Tohono O'odham Coiled Basket

The Tohono O odham - Papago, or Desert People are a Piman-speaking group who live in southwestern Arizona and northern Mexico in the Sonoran Desert. The basketry work of this group has long been renowned for its sensitive and beautiful works created of the simplest of materials in the harsh environs of the southwest. Descendants of the ancient Hohokam peoples, this people have extensive roots in the southwest, reaching long into the prehistoric past. 

This sturdy basket, of coiled construction, was made for and used in daily life, not produced commercially for the tourist trade.  It does show signs of ethnic wear due to age and usage. The coils on the exterior have flattened a bit due to handling and there is some minor stitch loss on the bottom, both interior and exterior exposing the coiled grass foundation.  The maker created a two-toned contrast, weaving two colors of the dyed splint that is really quite wonderful and enhances the graphic design. The basket is 7-1/2 high and 9" in diameter at the top, tapering to 7" in diameter at the bottom. It is circa 1900 or perhaps earlier and in overall very fine condition.
$850.00