Catalog Number: 1995-9/10
Object Name: Basket
Made By: Tsimshian, New Metlakatla, AK
Used By: Tsimshian, New Metlakatla, AK, Kake, AK
Found: Kake, AK
Materials: Twisted and plain twined cedar bark and cedar bark dyed brown, with false embroidery using natural bear grass and bear grass dyed brown
Subject: Triangle, stripe
Dimensions (metric): Diameter: 15.24 centimeters, Height: 11.43 centimeters
Dimensions (English): Diameter: 6.00 inches, Height: 4.50 inches
Donor: Belonged to donor's mother, Elanor Rose Maupin, who traveled to Kake, Alaska every summer. She collected this basket in Kake circa 1940.
Date Received: February 15. 1995
Date Made: 19th century
Label: Small round decorative tourist basket made of twisted cedar bark in the "New Metlakatla style". The base is plain twined of split twisted cedar bark and dyed split twisted cedar bark in alternating concentric rings (total of three dark rings). VERY UNUSUAL: a band of triangles done of false embroidered bear grass on the interior of the bottom (on the middle dark ring). The start is a patterned twined start, with intersecting layered spokes. The sides are plain twined of twisted cedar bark with false embroidered designs in natural and brown dyed bear grass. There is a central band of triangles in dark brown dyed bear grass. Above and below this band is an alternating single/double row of false embroidery in natural bear grass. The rim is finished by folding the cedar bark warps over and twining in place; compound binding and braided selvage; the ends are clipped on the exterior of the basket wall. SEE: "Indian Baskets" by Turnbaugh & Turnbaugh, 1986 and "Tsimshian Basketry" by Andrea Laforet in "The Tsimshian", 1984.
Accession Data: Accession ID: 1995-9; Accession Date: 02/15/1995; Accession Type: Accession Gift