Dora Tawahongva

Fields of Gold

11 1/4" Diameter

---

Native American basketry is one of the earliest art forms. The Indians made them as utilitarian pieces for storage, holding water and even cooking.

Basketry is an ancient craft of the Indian people; it even precedes pottery making. Baskets used for cooking were lined with clay, and water vessels were covered with pine pitch. Today basket making has developed into a fine art, that few Native Americans continue to practice.

Where baskets were once a common item among all tribes, the art has now disappeared among many Native Americans, and the handful of weavers that continue this ancient craft are few and far between.

Hopi basket weavers are considered some of the best in North America. They produce baskets in three different techniques.

On Second Mesa the Hopi weavers specialize in Hopi Coil basketry. Hopi coiled baskets are woven by wrapping bundles of plant material with a single piece of plant material usually yucca.

The colors are usually limited to white, yellow, green, red and black. Designs you often find on these beautiful baskets are Katsina, animals, blanket, and geometric designs.

On Third Mesa the Hopi weavers specialize in wicker basketry. They make wicker plaques, cradles and burden baskets by weaving flexible stems of local plants, such as rabbit brush, scrub sumac and arroyo willow, over and under stiffer support stems. There are many colors and designs used in wicker plaques and baskets.

Women on all three mesas make plaited sifter baskets. These baskets are made by plaiting yucca fibers, either natural or dyes, to achieve many designs. Many of the Hopi wickers, coils, and sifters are used for social or ceremonial purposes.

If you have questions about this
item, please contact Brandon: sales@ancientnations.com