This finely coiled lidded basket by Patsy Rudolph features a cylindrical form and flared lid. Woven into its surface are chunusix (wild geraniums), their purple blossoms and green trailing stems animating the natural fibre ground with delicate, rhythmic movement.

Rudolph’s miniature baskets are highly prized for their tight weaving and naturalistic floral imagery. Her work can be found in the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian [1] and the Seattle Art Museum. A near-identical basket was also featured in the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture’s 2001 exhibition, “Entwined with Life: Native American Basketry.” [2]

1. National Museum of the American Indian. Basket. Made by Patsy Rudolph (Unangax̂), ca. 1990. NMAI Object ID 272015. Smithsonian Institution. Accessed 30 July 2025. https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/object/NMAI_272015.

2. Entwined with Life: Native American Basketry. Accessed 18 August 2025. https://www.burkemuseum.org/static/baskets/artists/arctic.html.

Christopher W. Smith