Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0370-0828   CAS 0370-0828; Basket
Category Basketry
Object Name Basket
Culture Thompson or Fraser River Salish
Global Region North America
Country Canada
State/Prov./Dist. British Columbia
County
Other Geographic Data Thompson and/or Fraser River areas
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1900-1930
Collection Name Elkus Collection (Native American)
Materials Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) splints and roots; Common reed (Phragmites australis) stems; Cherry (Prunus emarginata) bark
Description Large rectangular flat-bottomed basket with slightly flaring sides, and a low interior lip, originally fitted with flat-topped rectangular lid (now missing) and pair of carrying handles (also missing) along end shoulders; Base of basket is woven in plaited technique over wide cedar slats, using cedar roots as the weft; Single bundle around perimeter of base is coil-wrapped and was originally secured to a cedar slat set on edge that formed a low footed pedestal; Sides of basket are woven in coiled technique over cedar slats; Primary weft material is cedar roots; Designs are woven of undyed reed stems and natural (red) and mud-dyed (black) cherry bark, using the imbrication technique on the basket's sides and ribbon beading along base and shoulder of the basket; Designs include two parallel composite zigzag bands that encircle the sides and ends of the basket, each band having a central zigzag of undyed reed stems and alternate "V" segments of each band alternating between natural red and mud-dyed black cherry bark; Single band of mud-dyed black cherry bark is woven in ribbon beading technique along lower sides of basket and along edges of shoulder, and single band of natural red cherry bark is similarly woven along shoulder itself.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 30.5, Width = 36.8, Length = 55.6