Hopi Second Mesa Flared Rim Pictorial Basket [SOLD]

The Hopi Pueblo women of Second Mesa villages have been making coiled basketry for over a thousand years using the same materials and same techniques.  None of the materials are from domesticated sources.  They all are from wild plants.  The leaf of the yucca plant is used for the weft design and grasses are bundled together for the warp foundation.  The colors are limited to white, yellow, green, red and black.  The first three colors are derived from the yucca leaves, the difference being in the time of year the material is collected.  The rust and black colors are dyed yucca leaves.

The yucca leaves are split into narrow strips and used for coiling around the grass foundation.  Each narrow strip is inserted into the previous row of stitches using an awl for making a tiny hole for insertion of the strip.  This is done over and over as the design materializes.

The designs on the walls are Crow Mother and Wakas (Cow) Katsina faces.  There are two of each.  There are some imbricating stitches on the katsina faces.

Condition: very good condition with natural soiling on the open interior.

Provenance: from the collection of a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading:  Hopi Basket Weaving: Artistry in Natural Fibers by Helga Teiwes