Exquisite Small Navajo Ceremonial Basket - Wedding Basket [SOLD]

Navajo Ceremonial baskets, commonly called Wedding Baskets, are constructed with a rod foundation of willow or sumac. The background or light color in the basket is natural sumac. The black and red are dyed. The black dye is derived from sumac leaves, twigs and berries crushed and boiled with a powder made from melted piñon and roasted ocher. The red comes from boiled mountain mahogany roots to which are added ashes of twigs of juniper and powdered bark of black alder.

The design involves a plain center, an area above that consisting of a repeated series of stepped black elements which join a series of stepped red bands, above which is another series of black stepped elements. Finally, the outer area is again plain to the braided rim. An opening, or ceremonial break, penetrates the black and red designs and always extends to the end of the braided rim. One very simple interpretation is that the inner black steps represent the underworld, the red band is the earth and life, and the outer black steps stand for the upper world. The center spot in the basket represents the beginning of this earth as the Navajo emerged.

This small basket is of the finest detail with consistently tight stitching.  It shown no indications of having been used.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Exquisite Small Navajo Ceremonial Basket is from the inheritance of a daughter of the Balcomb family, owners of several art galleries of Native American art and objects in the post-WWII era until the 1970s when they closed their last gallery.

Recommended Reading:  Navajo Ceremonial Baskets: Sacred Symbols Sacred Space by Georgiana Simpson