CROWDEDHOUSE ANTIQUES newsletter vol 7 OCTOBER 2012 how to identify apache basketry Welcome to the seventh edition of the crowdedhouse antiques newsletter. This seventh issue is devoted to tips on “How to Identify Apache Basketry”. As in all my newsletters I have included several photos of period pieces that I hope will speak to you and perhaps add to your appreciation of these works of art. I invite your questions and comments and will attempt to answer all enquires in a timely manner. I hope you find the following article informative and enjoyable reading. You may address your comments and questions to crowdedhouse_antiques@hotmail.com.

Apache Olla circa 1880

Beautiful Apache Olla with positive and negative human, deer and dog figures A Brief History of Basketry in the Western United States Archeologists have determined that the making of baskets predated even the use of Pottery. The basket weaving cultures in the western United States include the Haidi,Tlingit and Thomson river cultures of the Pacific Northwest coast, the karuk/karok, Hupa and Yurok of Northern California, the Pomo, Mono,Yokuts and Maidu of central California, the Mission Indian cultures of southern California, the Panamint of eastern California desert, the Paiute and Washo and Chemehuevi of Nevada and the Apache and Pima of Arizona. It is these cultures that have produced some of the world’s finest and most valuable basketry. It was the women of the tribe who fabricated baskets. Their meticulous workmanship, beautiful patina and their stunning primitive design motifs make them some of the most sought after and highly prized antiques in the world with some baskets fetching $1,000,000.The creation of these baskets required artistry and imagination as they wove everything from tightly woven water carriers to baby carriers and everything in between.

Baskets are perhaps the oldest invention of the Native American Culture going back some 8000 years. The baskets produced by the Apaches were extremely important to their culture and were created for their beauty but more importantly for their utilitarian purposes. They were made to carry and store a variety of articles for extended periods of time. Some of these stored items were heavy so consequently the baskets had to be made with great precision and strength to prevent them from breaking. The early Apache baskets were usually coiled using three rods for the warp resulting in a very stiff and strong basket. The baskets were made primarily from yucca leaves, willow reeds, juniper bark, sumac, cottonwood, and devils claw. Traditionally the women of the tribe were in charge of domestic affairs which included basket making. Albeit coarse twined burden baskets are still woven today, the fine coiled willow basketry died with the great depression of the 1930’s.Apache children were sent to government schools and discouraged from weaving and the industrial revolution made cheap pots readily available so labour intensive basketry was no longer needed. This newsletter will discuss only those baskets produced by the Apache who resided primarily in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. Proboscedia parviflora (Martynia pariflora) Devils Claw

Devils Claw seed capsules that provide the black design in Apache baskets

Yucca plant

The colour yellow was obtained by burning a small grass fire around the green yucca leaves that are picked later. Green was obtained from the outer yucca leaves and white from the inner leaves close to the stem. Red came from the narrow leaved yucca root and was used on rare occasions.

Desert Willow tree

The external basket weft is usually willow bark (original source of salicylic acid -aspirin) and tends to start off as an off white but ages to a golden tan or dark brown.

Basket types The four main basket types are the olla, a Spanish word pronounced “oy-yuh” meaning jars with a neck and mouth was used primarily for grain storage, bowls (deep tray), the tsah (tray) which was the most commonly used basket and tuts-ah (burden basket). Apache baskets frequently include figures such as humans, dogs, deer and snakes. Apache pictorial Olla with dog & deer figures circa 1890 $15000.00 - $20,000.00

The original purpose of the Apache Olla (pronounced oy-yuh) was to store grain but as the apache were placed on reservations the baskets became more of a tourist item and less of a necessity.. Ollas are the most valuable of all Apache baskets commanding hundreds of thousands of dollars for those that exhibit great symmetry, size, decorated with multiple figures and are generally polychrome.

Apache pictorial Olla with horse & human figures circa 1880 $15000.00 – $20.000.00

Apache pictorial Olla with many figures and symbols Circa 1900 $35,000.00

Apache Olla with large negative design featuring several symbols including humans and dogs.

Apache bowl circa 1890 $4500.00 - $5000.00

Finely woven 3 ½” x 17 7/8” Apache bowl

Apache bowl with horse & snake design Circa 1900 $2100.00

Apache bowl circa 1880 $1800.00 - $2000.00

Apache pictorial bowl with deer & human figures circa 1880 $3400.00

Yavapi Apache tray circa 19th century $5000.00 - $6000.00

Negative designs such as displayed on this Yavapi Apache bowl are highly prized by collectors and usually bring a premium. The basket begins with a negative dark centre using devils claw and continuers with a large amount of negative design.

Apache Tray Circa 1880’s sold at Bonhams $11,590.00

Finely woven concentric positive and negative bands encircling a nine point star a register of quadrupeds framed by the outermost ring

Western Apache Tray Circa early 20th century sold at Manitou Galleries for $6000.00

Western Apache tray 21 ½” diameter. Pictorial male, female, and dog design. One figure has arm raised in salutation.

Apache burden basket circa 1900 $950.00

Apache burden baskets are still woven today but have are made with a larger weave than the pre 1930 ones and often use commercial leather

Apache burden basket circa 1900 $850.00

Misleading & Fake Apache Baskets As the demand for American Indian arts increased rapidly during the 1980’s so did the rise in fakes. In the Philippines an American persuaded people to rename their village “Zuni” where he established a factory producing silver, turquoise, lapis lazuli and jet jewelry using tribal symbols and techniques and marking them “Made in Zuni”. The Brazilians, Nigerians, and Pakistanis weave copies of Apache, Navajo and Pima baskets while the Mexicans weave imitation Navajo blankets. The Chinese carve animal fetishes and the Thai workers not to be out done make imitation jewelry sometimes using plastic instead of actual turquoise and a nickel alloy in place of silver. Filipino workers specialize in Hopi Kachina dolls as well as Zuni inlaid jewelry. The result is high unemployment in the Native American communities. Even though it is a Federal crime to pass off fakes as real Indian made artifacts the fact is 90% of all Indian items sold are actually imported.

African basket with Apache Figures

The basket above exhibits Apache motifs but there are gaps in the weaving. Genuine Apache baskets have very tight weaving and when held up to the light almost no light shows through.

Fake Apache Basket

The basket in the photograph above is an Apache “style” basket but it is not Apache. Upon close examination of the weaving you will see gaps in between the coils and the gap stitch is not typical of Southwestern weavers and the design is not one the Apache would use.

Fake Apache basket made in Africa

The African basket above exhibits some similarities in Apache motifs again there are gaps in the weaving and the weaving style is different.

Nigerian Grass Basket

Baskets similar to this Nigerian basket are sometimes sold as American Indian coiled baskets. Sometimes by people who are simply ignorant of their true origin. Avoid anything that describes the item as “Southwest design”, “Apache style”, Hopi Style”, “Navajo style”, etc.

Nigerian basket with Native American Figures

Pakistani Baskets

Genuine Apache Tray

The genuine Apache tray pictured above has a different weaving style than the fakes and the coils are extremely tight producing a rigid structure that cannot be easily bent. Apache baskets are striking with strong contrast in colour and bold geometric or pictorial (less common) motifs. Of all the baskets of the southwest region, early three rod coiled Apache baskets of the Western Apache and Yavapai are the most collectible. This beautiful art form perfected over thousands of years was lost in a decade at the beginning of the 20th century.