Diné (Navajo) Ceremonial/Wedding Small Basket [SOLD]

It has been speculated that early Diné basket designs might have derived from their blanket designs. It has also been surmised that the opposite might be true. In either case, we can say that the current basket design known as the "wedding basket" developed from the designs in their earlier baskets.

In these baskets, the only colors used are black and a deep russet red. Black is made in several ways, resulting in a range of colors from dark gray to jet. The red results from a mixture of juniper root, mountain mahogany root, alder bark, and burnt juniper needles.

The distinctive feature of older baskets is the single- or two-rod foundation, resulting in a finer weave and smoother walls than the later three-rod wedding baskets. The rims are always woven in a herringbone pattern. This is a distinctive Diné characteristic that was eventually adopted by the Paiute when they started making wedding baskets for the Diné.  This is a single-coil basket and is a very fine weave.  It is a smaller version of the standard basket used in ceremonial functions.

Condition: This basket is in very good condition.

Provenance: Purchased in the 1980s by a resident of Gallup, NM at that time.