Birchbark basketry is a ubiquitous artform that spans the Subarctic regions of North America from the Kobuk River in Alaska to the Eastern Seaboard of Canada. Primarily associated with Dene or Anishnaabe artists, adjacent communities and Nations have long made their own versions of birchbark baskets. This complex birch bark and split willow root lidded basket likely dates to the 1930s and is very similar to examples in the Museum of Anthropology at UBC (3204/12 a-b, identified as Chipewyan/Dene), the Museum of Vancouver (AC 250, identified as Subarctic General or Dene), and the Canadian Museum of History (V-A-257, identified as Plains Cree). Whatever the case, two out of three of these examples are recorded as being made during or before the 1930s. The present example at First Arts shares an affinity with all three of these baskets but may be most similar to the example at the CMH (although the present example at First Arts is arguably more elaborate than the museum examples). Considering how fugitive natural dyes are on root fibers and the probable age of this basket, it’s in very good condition with red and blue pigments still visible.

CWS