Navajo Baskets

The Native American basket as art began to be appreciated at the turn of the century. Always an important expression of Southwestern art, antique Navajo baskets traditionally made for ceremony, like the Navajo Wedding Basket, began to find their way into homes around the world. Almost all of the Southwestern Native American tribes wove baskets. The basketry of the Havasupai tribe in the Grand Canyon is well known for its technical excellence, although no Havasupai weave baskets today. The Apache basket trays and ollas are also prime examples of the basketry skill of the past. Many Apache still weave baskets, primarily their beautiful Apache burden baskets still used for important ceremonies as well as for gifts and for trade. The Pima and Papago basket art of Southern Arizona is still carried on. The Papago, now known as the Tohono O’odham continue this basket making tradition. Many fine Hopi basket weavers are still creating beautiful works of art, little changed in design and function for hundreds of years!