Antique Pima Akimel O'odham Double Snake Trail Native American Indian Basket For Sale

This Antique Pima Akimel O'odham Double Snake Trail Native American Indian Basket is a handmade piece from the United States. The basket reflects the culture and traditions of the Akimel O'odham tribe, showcasing intricate craftsmanship and unique design elements. Perfect for collectors interested in Native American art and artifacts, this basket is a beautiful representation of American Indian heritage and craftsmanship.

• From Private Collection.Up for sale is an authentic, historic Akimel O'odham (Pima) coiled basket dating to the Golden Era of Southwest basketry (circa 1890–1930).

• By the 1890s to 1930s, production of these fine, labor-intensive coiled baskets sharply declined as weavers found other lines of agricultural work more profitable, making authentic pieces from this era highly collectible today.
• During this period, the expansion of the transcontinental railroad brought an influx of tourists and collectors to central and southern Arizona. In response, skilled weavers transitioned from crafting purely functional, utilitarian vessels to creating intricately designed pieces for a commercial cash economy.
• The Foundation: Pima weavers used a bundle of split cattail stems or wild grasses for the core foundation, wrapped in light willow shoots. This gives the basket a distinctively soft, slightly flexible, or "springy" texture when gently pressed, separating it from the much stiffer three-rod foundations used by neighboring tribes like the Apache.
• Bear Grass and Yucca with Devil's claw woven in diagonal progressive pattern over base of cattail reeds. The pattern is a double Snake trails. Symbolic snake pattern is a prayer for rainfall, and agricultural fertility. Double snake trails amplifies the concept of balance and paired natural forces. Male & Female. Lightening and Rain.
• Small wire to hang on wall.
• Structurally intact, and tight.
• "Beautiful antique condition. The basket retains excellent structural integrity, handles firmly, and sits completely flat. Shows minimal honest age wear, including a few small areas of minor stitch loss consistent with its 100-year history. No major unravelling or structural warping. Please review all photos and macro close-ups for a precise view of the condition."