Cahuilla Tribe Nineteenth Century Basketry Bowl [SOLD]

The Cahuilla traditionally spoke one of the Uto-Aztecan languages called Takic and today continue to live in their homelands in the desert and mountain regions of southeastern California. They are divided into three subgroups: the Desert, the Pass and the Mountain Cahuilla. All of these groups tended to weave heavily polychrome baskets as well as baskets with all juncus backgrounds. During the 19th century a war between the Mojave peoples on the Colorado River and the nomadic Chemehuevi scattered many Chemehuevi into the Mojave desert region, many of which settled with and intermarried with Cahuilla peoples.

This beautiful basket, while executed in Cahuilla techniques, has a design that suggests a Chemehuevi origin with the design being contained in black border bands and the simple vertical use of pairs of connected diamonds (a common Chemehuevi design). Coiling is to the right using a bundle of deer grass (Muhlenbergia) for the foundation of the coil. The sewing splints are split peeled sumac (Rhus) for the white and split natural colored reed from the lower stem (juncus) for the orange and mud-dyed juncus for the black. This basket is an excellent example illustrating intertribal influences from the region.