After a search through private collections and public museums throughout the country, over sixty stunning examples of California Indian basketry were assembled for this book—some almost two hundred years old, some made within the last few decades. Commenting upon each basket are native basket weavers, California Indian artists in other media, and scholars. Together they provide exciting and intimate insights into this world of subtle yet intense beauty.
For thousands of years California Indians have been making baskets, often for the most practical reasons—for use as cradles, cooking and serving vessels, winnowing trays, and dozens of other necessary functions. Over the centuries these baskets have evolved artistically as well, and many people now consider them to be among the world’s most beautiful, sophisticated, and cherished art objects.