Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 0370-0881   CAS 0370-0881; Basket
Category Basketry
Object Name Basket
Culture Hopi
Global Region North America
Country USA
State/Prov./Dist. Arizona
County Navajo
Other Geographic Data Hopi Indian Reservation; Second Mesa
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1940-1955
Collection Name Elkus Collection (Native American)
Materials Galleta grass (Hilaria jamesii) stems; Yucca (Yucca angustissima) leaves; Vegetal dyes
Description Deep round wastebasket with flat base and flaring lower sides that rise vertically to a wide mouth; Basket is woven entirely in coiled technique over bundle coils; Warp material is galleta grass stems and weft materials is natural and vegetal dyed yucca leaves; Designs on sides of basket consist of two full figures of Crow Mother, shown wearing a black dress with white wedding sash; Figure's face is brown (with yellow side borders) with the characteristic black hourglass shape in center and large black wings on the sides of her headdress; Hourglass shape on face and band just below face is woven in overlay stitch of undyed weft; Alternating with the Crow Mother figures are two pair of vertically stacked terraced concentric diamonds in brown, yellow, and black, all on natural colored sun bleached background.
Dimensions (cm) Height = 22.1, Max Diam = 23.5