Basket

About Baskets

It is said that pottery evolved from baskets. Indeed, some of the earliest known pottery has basket weave patterns impressed into the outer surface of the pieces. However, once a society becomes primarily agrarian and sedentary, the focus on food storage shifts. Even low-fired pottery is a better defense against bugs, reptiles and rodents than a woven basket.

The pottery form of "basket" probably evolved for the tourist market. However, there have been many embellishments added by some potters and virtually none by others. Isleta potters made a lot of polychrome friendship baskets with twisted rope handles and geometric designs. There's a Tohono O'odham family that has been making very distinctive friendship baskets for several generations now. Friendship baskets are also made by some Navajo potters and by some potters at Acoma and Santa Clara.

There are also some potters who make a simple basket, perhaps with twisted handles, perhaps with straight handles. The piece may be monochrome, polychrome or micaceous and might have a carved, sgraffito and/or painted design around the sides. Pottery baskets are all relatively small objects, obviously not utilitarian.

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