D-38-51 The Maidu are divided into three groups: the Nisenan (Valley), the Konkow (Foothill) and the Sierra (Mountain) Maidu. These peoples spoke mutually unintelligible dialects of the Maidu language, which belongs to the Penutian Super Family of languages. Their traditional territory is in northeastern California just north of Yosemite and bordered on the west by the Sacramento River with Lake Tahoe to the east.
This small bowl form was called a “pul-lus” according to Merriam and would have been used as a small cooking bowl. Construction and materials suggest that it may have been made either by the Konkow of the Sacramento Valley region or less likely by the Nisenan. A very old tag still attached to the basket reads “Maidu no. 18 $15.00”. Coiling is to the left using three peeled willow rods (Salix) for the foundation of the coil. Sewing splints show a distinct change of materials while the basket was in the process of being made. On the bottom the splints are a light colored split sedge root (Carex) and split, non-peeled redbud (Cercis) for the blackish red color. As the sides of the bowl start to curve upward, the materials change to a much darker type of sedge root and the black design material switches to dyed bracken fern root (Pteridium). The design is an unusual combination of the arrow point and arrow feather designs.
A fine old example from the collection of Craig Bates, a former curator at the Yosemite Museum. 7 ½” d. by 4” h. Circ 1880. $1,950.00