northwest coast basket

3 posts

15 July 2013; Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) Basket

This small, elegant basket is made by the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Commonly referred to as Nootka, the Nuu-chah-nulth reside on the westcoast of Vancouver Island. While they are primarily for their woodworking, cedar canoes, and large multifamily housing; they also produce very fine basket work. In the 1860’s, the Nuu-chah-nulth started […]

10 December 2012 Makah Basket

The Pacific Northwest is well known for its amazing baskets made from cedar and local grasses. Some baskets made in this are were woven so tightly they were able to easily hold water! The lidded basket that pictured here is approximately 2 inches tall and is common to the Makah […]

7 October 2012 Karuk Basket

This delicate basket is from a California tribe named Karuk, meaning “upriver people”. The Karuk were the only tribe in California to grow tobacco plants. Traditional basket materials for the Karuk are willow, pine root, bear grass, maidenhair fern, and woodwardia. The four central ‘lightning’ lines utilize a quilled technique […]