I-0-495 Pomo storage basket.
The Pomo are a large tribe divided into seven groups each traditionally speaking a distinct dialect of the Pomo language, which is part of the Hokan Superfamily of languages. Their name means “People of the Red Earth” in reference to a red mineral pigment that they dug both for their own use and for trade. Their region of habitation was what are now the counties of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake in northwestern California. Famous for their basketry, this northern California tribe produced the largest variety of baskets of any tribe in North America. The particular type of twining (called a “ti” weave by the Pomo) used in the weaving of this basket is one of the least common of the many types of Pomo twining. This weave was not produced by any other American Indian tribe and is a complex form of twining, involving the twining of both a vertical rod (warp) and a horizontal stationary weft rod. It was produced in both an open and closed variety.
This basket is an example of the closed variety. It has multiple horizontal design bands typical for this type of twining. There are 5 design bands on this basket: two simple ones on the bottom and three complex ones on the body of the bowl. An interesting feature of these design bands is the elaborate nature of the dau marks (even the simple bands on the bottom of this basket have dau marks which is most unusual). Dau marks are idiosyncratic marks made by the weaver, some say as a sort of signature mark. The start of the bowl is in diagonal twining quickly switching to lattice twining ( ti weave) and then changing to plain twining (both single and two stick) at the rim. The materials are peeled whole willow rods (Salix) for the warp and split sedge root (Carex) for tan as well as split non-peeled California redbud (Cercis) for the red designs. A fine early example of one of these uncommon types of Pomo baskets.
20 1/2 inches d. by 12 inches h. Circa 1880. $5,800.00