Basket by Morgane Pichard
This coiled woven basket is from the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona. The White Mountain Apache tribe peoples were largely nomadic farmers who also hunted and gathered, and have since adapted to live and work either on tribal land or all over the world. (Talk about how they used baskets in their daily lives.) The basket is in the shape of a shallow bowl and features simple geometric depictions of humans and animals, likely deer and dogs. These two animals were probably chosen as the dogs aided in the hunt of the deers. In addition to imagery derived from real life, the bowl features symmetrical cross shapes and zig-zagging lines that break the basked into sections. Although it is unfortunate that the origin of imagery resembling Christian symbols will always be questioned, there will always be a cloud of suspicion surrounding the use of crosses. Some believe that the uses of crosses have nothing to do with Christianity and instead point to the four points of the cross are a reference to the four cardinal points, while others believe it may be a reference to the four quarters of the spiritual world. The basket measures 5.5 inches in height and 20 inches in diameter and was likely constructed using a traditional Apache technique that uses three rods (either of cottonwood or willow) coiled together. The artist used the stalk of martynia plants, commonly known as cat’s claw, to create the contrast of a dark center circle and dark designs. This bowl was collected by C. E. Bates, and although the exact date is unknown it is likely that it was after the mid-1930s as that was when a tribal council was established to focus on tourism and oversee all tribally owned property and businesses.