Pima Tribe Deep Basketry Bowl with Upright Sides and Rectangle Design [R]

This wonderful Native American Basket from the Pima Tribe, presently known as the Akimel O'odham, is a Deep Bowl shape with Upright Sides. The basket is accompanied by a rare provenance - a letter. This letter was written by Laura Culcer to her dad, dated September 10, 1918, and an address in Tucson, Arizona, in which she says she is sending a basket as a gift to her mother. The letter reads:

Dear Dad,

I am still here think surely my passes will come today.  Will try to get Carl’s check again. It was sent to Lordsburg, N. M. but it had better be back by today.  Carl says its in the U.S.A. now and he expects to stay.

The baby could hardly wait to see ‘my daddy quick’ is what she says.  I never saw such a brat (she still says she is crazy about her daddy).  Yesterday I asked her what she dreamed last night, she said ‘candy na-ma (water melon) ice cream and daddy.  I asked her how much she loved daddy ‘whole bunch.’ That is one of her new words but talks good.

We took some pictures of her Sun(day) out in the desert.  Will send home as soon as I get them. The cactus there is many kinds but the bloom is as pretty as any flower. Just as sweet as can be.  This place is full of date palms, olive trees, and lots of pretty flowers. It's the cleanest and best kept grounds I ever saw.

The hole through the mountain is just like a tunnel only natural.  I’m sending mama an Indian basket for her birthday putting some cards & my dress in it.  Guess it seemed good to have them all at home again.  Elizabeth hasn’t worked yet. Maybe this letter will be more sensible.

Will write more when I get settled again.

With love, Laura

Provenance:  Laura was the grandmother of the gentleman who brought us this basket, so it has been in the family since 1918.  The basket is in excellent condition with only three missing stitches on the underside. The design is a series of rectangles with open spaces on the interiors.  The upper and lower rows of the design are slightly offset from each other and connected by a solid devil’s claw vertical line.

Relative links: Native American Baskets, Pima Tribe - Akimel O'odham