Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0370-0877   CAS 0370-0877; Burden basket
Category Basketry
Object Name Burden basket
Culture Western Apache
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Arizona
County unknown
Other Geographic Data unknown
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. early 1900s
Collection Name Elkus Collection (Native American)
Materials Willow (Salix sp.) shoots; Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) slats (?); Leather; Commercial muslin cloth; Devil's claw (Martynia sp.) pods; Paint
Description Large round burden basket with concave base and vertical flaring sides, woven primarily in plain twining; Warp material is probably whole willow shoots and primary weft material is unpeeled split willow shoots; Pair of heavier staves are crossed on base and are woven into interior sides for added strength; Warp rods are bent over at rim and coil wrapped; Second coil of 2 willow rods and heavy gauge wire is added to rim and coil wrapped in leather; Designs on exterior sides consist of 4 parallel bands of closely spaced diagonal bars; Two of the bands are woven of black devil's claw and two are woven of painted red willow shoots; Piece of native-tanned leather with scalloped outer edge covers exterior base, with red muslin cloth strip sewn beneath edges of leather; 4 leather bands extend from leather patch up sides of basket and over rim; Leather bands and patch on base are decorated with numerous leather fringes and additional fringes are pendant from rim in areas between leather bands; Leather patch on base is also decorated with band of small cutout circles and/or ovals around perimeter.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 41.3, Max Diam = 48.2