H-0-227 Yokuts Bowl.
The Yokuts, whose members traditionally spoke the Yokutsan language belonging to the Penutian Superfamily of languages, lived in the central San Juaquin Valley region of California. Their territory stretched roughtly from Stockton in the north down to Bakersfield in the south. They were formerly called the Tulare Indians by the Spanish settlers meaning "people of the tules", tule being a type of marsh plant found in the shallow lakes and wetlands that once existed throughout traditional Yokuts territory. They were at one time a very large tribe with sixty-three sub-tribal divisions with estimates of 25,000 to 35,000 people in 1772 when the Spanish first arrived in the area (Latta). Today their population has shrunk to a fraction of that number. The Yokuts were well known for their beautifully woven plychrome baskets with some of the very finest North American Indian baskets coming from the hands of Yokuts weavers.
This medium sized bowl is of a type called a bread basket and is considered to have been developed in historic times perhaps first to hold tortillas and later bread. But these medium sized bowls have also been referred to as "money baskets" since they sometimes functioned as a type of currency. This bowl has one of the most spectacular of Yokuts designs called "a quiver of arrows" (also called "arrow points") and in this case "quail" has been added to the sides of the main design projecting out into the background. Coiling is to the right with the work surface on the interior (this basket was meant to be looked into) using a bundle of deer grass (Muhlenbergia) for the foundation of the coil. The sewing splints are split sedge root (Carex) for the tan, split unpeeled California redbud (Cercis) for the red and split dyed bracken fern root (Pteridium) for the black.
A beautiful patterned bowl from this important weaving tribe. 9 1/2"d. by 4 1/4"h. Circa 1920. $5,500.00