1960 - 1970 WINNEBAGO NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN BASKET #4

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

Cripple Creek Auctions, Inc. 1960 - 1970 WINNEBAGO NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN BASKET #4 I am a Trading Assistant - I can sell items for you! This is a sensational 1960'S - 1970'S HANDMADE NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN BLACK ASH HANDLED GATHERING BASKET made by the WINNEBAGO INDIANS of WISCONSIN This is the fourth Winnebago Basket we have offered This particular basket is a gathering basket and it does have a nice thick handle and it was handmade by the Winnebago Indians. This basket measures approximately 10 1/2" in height 16" in diameter 12 1/2" wide and the handles make the basket another 8" higher This basket was made by hand from native black ash trees from Wisconsin by the Winnebago Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. The native American Indians call the Black Ash Tree the "Basket Tree". The Winnebago Indians have made traditional black ash baskets for centuries and they are handmade from ash logs and handwoven into a finished basket. Native Americans knew that pounding black ash logs would loosen each year's growth ring, yielding basket strips of exceptional strength and beauty. Most basketmakers today use sawn ash, tby reducing hand labor. Also the strength and quality are sacrificed because the sawing of sawn ash cuts across the grain and the end product is not as strong as the traditional methods used by the Winnebago Native American Indians. Many hours of labor and great artistic skill go into each Winnebago basket. Native American baskets are made from black ash-the Basket Tree-which grows in wetlands and around streams. A good black ash log for basketmaking is straight and free of knots, at least six inches in diameter, and from five to 12 feet long. Splints for basket weaving are produced by pounding the entire log or wedges of it with the back of an axe or a sledge. The pounding causes the tree to split along its annual growth rings, producing splints. The splints are then ready to use or may be split with a splint gauge into widths ranging from 1/16-inch to 1/2-inch. The black ash tree (called brown ash in some parts of the country) is in environmental trouble, making it more and more difficult to find healthy trees of basket quality. This scarcity, combined with the fact that t are fewer Native American Indians making baskets from this traditional material and method, gives lasting value to these authentic Native American handmade black ash baskets. The Legend of the Black Ash Basket The legend of Black Ash Baskets is very old. The making of this basket began as a vision, the vision of a great Indian leader with a concern for the future of his people. Because the knowledge for the construction of the baskets came in a vision, a gift from the Creator, it is considered sacred to many Indian elders. The Black Ash Basket was the vision of Black Elk, a man who was nearing the end of his time and was concerned for his people. He could see the restlessness in his people, and he wanted to leave them with something that would not only help them provide for their families but also teach them the patience they needed. Black Elk asked the Creator what he could do to help them, and the Creator gave him this vision: "When Black Elk died, the people were supposed to burn his body and then bury the ashes that remained in a special place. Out of the ashes would grow a special tree. The people were to watch over this tree and protect it from harm. This was to be considered a very sacred thing. When the tree matured, it was to be cut down, and the growth rings were to be removed." This process was shown to Black Elk in his vision. He saw how to remove the rings by pounding the tree and how to prepare the strips to fashion them into baskets. Black Elk was happy with this vision from the Creator. He gatd his people together and told them what was to be done. He knew his people... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.