Antique Thompson River Salish Indian Coiled Basketry Bowl, ca. 1880-1910 For Sale

AntiqueThompson River Salish Indian Imbricated Coiled Basketry Bowl, British Columbia, Circa1880-1910

Thisrare and beautiful medium-size Thompson River Salish coiled basketrybowl is made with split cedar root as both the foundation of thecoils and the sewing splints. The decoration is made from the leavesof beargrass and strips of cherry bark which are inserted as thecoils rise from the start on the base to the rim at the top. Thisbasket has five double bands of this "imbricated" decorationon the sides and a single band on the base, which may be a type ofsignature of this maker. This example has a wonderful early patinawith some minor wear and losses, indicative of possible Native use. This basket is from an old Reno, Nevada collection.

TheThompson River Salish live in the rugged Fraser River Valley inSouthern British Columbia, Canada near where the Thompson Riverempties into the Fraser. The Fraser flows southwest into the Strait of Georgia just south of the city of Vancouver. These people belong to the larger Salishan culturaland linguistic group that includes the Coast Salish of Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland coast and tribal groups of Washington State, such as the Quinault and Quileute,extending down through Puget Sound, the Olympic Peninsula (except for the northwest tip), and the regions of Washington State west of the Cascades south to just short of the Columbia River Valley.

The Interior Salish were renowned as basket makers andexamples of their art were traded extensively among the NorthwestCoast Tribes and far to the east among the Plateau Tribes.

Dimensions: 10-1/8" across -- top diameter, 6-1/8" base diameter, 4-1/4" tall

Condition: Very Good. Basket is sound with no cracks or structural defects. There is minor overall wear, small losses to decoration and the rimbinding is missing a couple of stitches in one area (see photos)