Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0370-0799   CAS 0370-0799; Basketry mat
Category Basketry
Object Name Basketry mat
Culture Tlingit
Global Region North America
Country Canada
State/Prov./Dist. British Columbia
County
Other Geographic Data unknown
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1940s
Collection Name Elkus Collection (Native American)
Materials Spruce (Picea sp.) roots; Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax) leaves; Aniline dyes
Description Flat oval mat for use as a hot pad or trivet, woven entirely in plain twining technique; Warp and weft material is spruce roots; Series of concentric bands woven of dyed spruce root in colors of green, red, and black provide the background for several concentric bands that are woven in false embroidery technique, using undyed and dyed bear grass leaves; Innermost band is simply outlined in undyed bear grass; central band is outlined in undyed bear grass and contains red and dark blue or black parallelograms; Outermost band contains parallelograms of undyed bear grass against black spruce roots; Final row of twining along rim is also embroidered with undyed bear grass.
Dimensions (cm) Width = 19.6, Thickness = 0.3, Length = 27.5