Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 2004-0002-0001   CAS 2004-0002-0001; Basket
Category Basketry
Object Name Basket
Culture Klamath River
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. California
County Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou
Other Geographic Data Klamath River area
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1900-1920
Collection Name N/A
Materials Peeled hazel (Corylus cornuta var. californica) shoots; Conifer roots; Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax) leaves; Raffia grass leaves
Description Very large round Klamath-River style twined storage basket with flat base and very slightly rounded sides; Basket is woven almost entirely in plain 2-strand twining, with several rows of 3-strand twining on base and at junction of base and sides for added structural support; Pair of reinforcing rods are placed on interior of base and single reinforcing rod encircles side of basket on interior at midlevel height for additional support; Primary warp material is probably peeled hazel sticks and primary weft material is conifer roots; Designs are woven in half-twist overlay technique, using natural bear grass leaves as the secondary weft material, and include a positive zigzag circle on interior base; A negative motif of a diagonal zigzag line flanked by negative triangles (woven of conifer roots on background of bear grass leaves) is repeated 5 times around sides of basket, flanked above and below by band of negative contiguous triangles.
Dimensions (cm) Height = ca. 34.0, Max Diam = ca. 66.0