I-M-208 Miniature Pomo boat 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. This wonderful little example of a boat shaped basket has one of the most favored Pomo designs called “red mountains”.
This design is skillfully laid out in a four part spiral done in a particularly tight, fine weave (10 coils to the linear inch and 36 stitches to the linear inch). The sides of the basket were originally adorned in red feathers, the tiny tip ends of which can still be seen as tiny dots between some of the stitches. Coiling is to the left using three peeled willow rods (Salix) for the foundation of the coil. The sewing splints are split sedge root (Carex) for the white and split dyed bulrush root (Scirpus) for the black designs. A finely woven and beautiful little oval basket.
3 1/2"long by 3 “w. by 1 1/4"deep. Circa 1900. $3,000.00