Rectangular, coiled over splint construction basket. Slat foundation bottom, Imbricated, geometric design. Straight sides flare from narrow base., Width at Bottom: 8 3/4"; Width at Top: 12 1/4"; height: 9 1/8",
You can see this one has been used. When they are used they are quite valuable. The dye is a natural dye, it looks like bear grass and dyed wild cherry bark black in the top. They used to dye them in mud so it’s more muted than the dyes they use today. You can tell the wild cherry bark because of the little notches inside. The dark pink is a natural dye so likely it is from before 1930s. They also used bark from willows. Mom made those kind of things. This one is an oblong basket, coiled, cedar root. It was common in our area, but this type of basket also was made in Canada over the Cascades. Mom used to make this type of basket and made them for give-aways. They were used more for storage. Elaine Emerson