Antique Tlingit Woven Berry Basket Native Americana

A finely woven berry basket (k̲ákw) by Tlingit people circa late 19th century. The first nation people traditionally lived in southeastern Alaska (USA) and the adjacent parts of British Columbia and the Yukon (Canada). The basket was woven in twining technique from young spruce roots collected in spring or fall. The refined polychromed surface motifs were executed with false embroidery, where dyed grasses or maidenhair fern are wrapped around the outer wefts to create geometric patterns. The flat-bottomed and cylindrical baskets were traditionally used to storage many types of berries gathered before the winter and sometimes in potlatch ceremonies. The basket on offer here has a very refined construction, tightly woven. The false embroidery remains in intact fine condition with vibrant colors in black, red and orange. There are some background color variations due to moisture staining incurred from age, indicating that this basket was used in field. The staining blends in well with the overall patina and is not considered visually distracting. Another indicator that this is an historical unitarian piece is that the basket is very supple and foldable, which shows the quality of the older pieces.
Provenance: from an American collection.
For similar Tlingit Berry Baskets, see item 1930.215 in the collection of Denver Art Museum and item in Seattle Art Museum.