1944.26.1
Basket
Artist
Artist Unidentified (Tlingit)
Title
Basket
Creation Date
ca. 1890
Century
late 19th century
Dimensions
9 1/4 in. x 11 in. (23.49 cm. x 27.94 cm.)
Object Type
basket
Creation Place
North America, United States or Canada
Medium and Support
split spruce roots, grass
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. John R. Dunton
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1944.26.1
According to the Tlingit, native to the Pacific Northwest Coast, the Earthly wife of the Sun wove the first basket and passed the skill to other Tlingit women. Using the complex and sophisticated process of twining, this basket illustrates a weaving tradition used for centuries. The imbrication technique creates the geometric pattern here, where decorative grass is folded under each stitch on the outside but is not visible on the inside. Remarkably, it could hold liquids and even accommodate food preparation with hot stones placed inside. As with other Indigenous tribes, European settlers expanding westward showed little consideration for the Tlingit. When Secretary of State William Seward, whose portrait is seen nearby, helped negotiate the purchase of Alaska in 1867, the Treaty of Cession gave U. S. citizenship to all people in Alaska “with the exception of uncivilized native tribes,” underscoring the little regard given to Indigenous people, their governance, and their continued presence in North America.
Additional Media
overall
