J-30-28 Rare miniature Tlingit berry basket.
The Tlingit traditionally spoke a unique language, which belongs to the Nadene family (the old Athabascan linguistic family). They are a coastal people found in southern Alaska and are famous for their wood plank houses, totem poles and great sea faring canoes. They were also, at one time, famous basket makers producing some of the finest of northwest coast baskets. Their traditional basketry was of several shapes: pail shaped containers, lidded bowls and elaborate basketry hats. New forms were also added such as cups, teapots, ginger jar forms and oval baskets when the Russians and later the Americans colonized southern Alaska.
This wonderful little piece is one of their classic berry picking basket forms only reduced down to a miniature version. The design was a popular one among the Tlingit and is a combination of “cross” and “pick” (also sometimes called the “war ax” design). The design band is done on a background of blue dyed spruce root which is unusually well preserved on this basket as this dyed spruce root typically fades. The basket is done in plain twining using split spruce root for both the warp and weft. The designs are executed in split grass (both natural and dyed with commercial dyes) and all in an unusually fine state of condition.
Quite unusual in this miniature size, it measures 3 1/2"d. by 3"h. Circa 1900. $ 1,250.00