I-M-202 Washoe cooking bowl.
The Washoe are a small tribal group whose members traditionally spoke one of the Hokan languages and who continue to inhabit a region surrounding Lake Tahoe in eastern California and western Nevada. Their Hokan language suggests that they migrated into this region at some point in time from a more westerly California homeland. Their traditional coiled cooking bowls also suggest a more westerly cultural origin, differing in construction from the twined cooking bowls typical of the Great Basin region produced by Paiute peoples.
This delicately designed example is most likely from one of the more northern Washoe groups due to its great similarity to Maidu cooking bowl types and the unusually large amount of stitch bifurcation on the inside (especially in the bottom of the basket). The diagonal rim finish, however, would not have been done by a Maidu weaver. Coiling is to the left using three peeled willow rods (Salix) for the foundation of the coil. The sewing splints are split peeled willow for the white and split non-peeled California redbud (Cercis) for the red design.
A particularly elegant and unusual example from this famous weaving tribe. 13 1/4"d. by 6"h. Circa 1900. $4,500.00.