Makah and Nootka Northwest Coast Native American baskets (Vancouver Island/northern Washington) are my very favorites--typically small and very finely woven of bear grass with cedar bark rims and plaited bases; I always look for them, but they are most often priced beyond my reach. The production of these "trinket" baskets became a cottage industry in the 1860s and reached its height in the 1930s, which is about when I believe this one was made. Tw bands of stripes around the perimeter and a duck on either side, showing now as a lovely soft purple-blue, though the inside of the basket shows the color was once much more intense.And a sort of crescent shape on the lid, which one might read as a boat, or the sea, or the sky. Lovely.
4 1/8" in diameter x 2 7/16". Very good condition, no losses I can see, and very structurally sound. One often sees these losing a bit of their shape but not here. Lid fits snugly and is easily removed.
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