NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETRY HISTORY
Basketry has been a part of the rich tapestry of Native American cultures for
centuries. Native American basket weavers have transformed twigs, grasses, roots,
ferns, and bark into works of art that are unsurpassed for their beauty and technological
skill. Basket weaving is one of the oldest known Native American arts. Archaeologists
have identified some ancient American Indian baskets from the Southwest as being
nearly 8,000 years old.
As with most Native American art, a multitude of distinct traditions became
established in North American basketry. Different tribes used different materials,
weaving techniques, basket shapes, and characteristic patterns. Northeast Indian
baskets, for example, are traditionally made out of pounded ash splints or braided sweet
grass. As native people were displaced from their traditional lands and lifestyles, their
traditional tribal basket-weaving styles started to change as they adapted to new
materials and absorbed the customs of new neighbors. In places like Oklahoma, where
many tribes were interned together, fusion styles of basket weaving arose. However,
unlike some traditional native crafts, the original diversity of Native American basket
styles is still very much evident today. (right: Yokut rabbit dancers, Yokut, California,
19th century, 4 h x 8 d x 24 _ c inches, Coiled sedge, three rabbit dancers. Bruce
Museum collection 21291)
Based on early evidence, we know
that prior to contact with European cultures,
the basket-making tribes of North America
had created a repertoire of basket shapes
and design elements specific, if not unique,
to each tribal grouping. Tribal customs and
artistic traditions dictated that basketry
styles remain relatively constant over time,
with little emphasis on experimentation or
innovation. The volatile impact that Euro1
Yokut rabbit dancers
Americans had on native cultures was
eventually reflected in the material culture of the tribal groups, basketry being no
exception. These newcomers to North America had little interest in Native American
basketry until the late 19th century, when the belief arose that the native cultures might
soon disappear. Motivated by this sentiment, some individuals began collecting Native
American cultural material with an enthusiasm and appreciation previously unknown.
Before these early collectors entered the arena, some Native American basketry
had already begun to exhibit change as evidenced by the appearance of trade items
incorporated into the baskets such as glass beads, commercial yarns, and exotic
feathers from the ostrich and peacock. However, these new materials were utilized in
the traditional manner as decorative elements merely substituting for native-made
clamshell beads and wild bird feathers.
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NATIVE AMERICAN BASKETRY HISTORY
As collectors became more discerning about the quality of a basket's weave and
exhibited a preference for particular types of designs and shapes, the weavers
responded to this new market. Graceful and distinctive shapes such as bottleneck
baskets and more literal design elements such as human figures or animal forms (which
replaced the often more sophisticated, abstract designs) were in great demand in the
early collector market. However, these basketry shapes and design motifs were only
produced by a few tribal groups and then only occasionally. Thus, borrowing shapes
and motifs from other tribal groups became, if not commonplace, at least an acceptable
practice among some of the weavers. This phenomenon ushered in a new period of
experimentation and creativity while it maintained the on-going high standards of
technical and artistic expertise.
Makah lidded box, Makah, Northwest
Coast, Olympic WA,
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Washoe, Great Basin, Nevada, early 19th
century, 5 _ h x 11 _ d x 37 c inches
Navajo Wedding
Basket, 1900
Dona Anderson
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Contemporary Fiber Artists such as Christine Adcock often utilize ancient
weaving techniques and traditional fibers. These contemporary artists, like their
ancestors, often look to nature for inspiration. Dona Anderson combines traditional
basket weaving techniques with contemporary ideas for forms. This elegant sculpture
reflects modern investigations into woven forms as art. Basketry goes beyond its
original functional properties to a modern art form.
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