Jicarilla Apache Lidded Basket

Jicarilla Apache lidded storage/waste basket with handle cutout, quadrupeds (we think dogs), and geometric designs. Acquired by Charles Graves, Indian agent in the 1920s. New Mexico. Slightly faded outside but not distracting. Historic and functional. The Apache have a longstanding basketry tradition, and basket making is among the most celebrated art forms in their culture. Those with pictorial elements are coveted, and the coloration oxidizes over time to warm hues as we see in this example. Being nomadic hunters and gatherers, baskets were treasured for carrying firewood as well as roots and berries.