Basket

Once the railroad began bringing tourists to the Southwest in the 1880s, many Apache basket weavers directed their production towards this new market. This resulted in large numbers of exceptional works that were eagerly collected. The wear pattern on this monumental basket, however, suggests native use. Its complex, precariously balanced composition alternates vertical bands of diamonds with figures, V-shaped elements and equilateral crosses. At the shoulder, human figures stand atop horses. They alternate with mysterious figures depicted with headdresses and raised right hands, while their left hands are emphasized by enormous size. Below are alternating images of single and paired figures. The Apache maintain that such images have no symbolic or ritual significance, yet they evoke a vision of the world that is distinctly their own.