Pomo
Covered "Trinket" Basket 1900–1920
willow, redbud or alder, vegetal dye
7 x 5.375 (diameter)
Illinois State Museum Condell Collection
808 689
This lidded basket might have been used to hold shells, feathers, or other materials for the owner. Using dyes derived from plants native to the Northern California area where the Pomo were centered, the staggered design is an asymmetrical statement of positive and negative spatial relationships. Where one might expect to find the comfort of repetitive pattern, discontinuous line and open spaces surprise and engage the viewer's attention

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