"Banana Yucca Root is also called Spanish Dagger, or 'o-e-toctk' in Papago, is the deep red color in baskets.
Red baskets are prized by collectors because of their scarcity. Yucca root is more prevalent around the villages up off the desert floor with higher elevations like Quiotoa, Comobabi or Cababi.
To secure this material is a very laborious chore which entails digging up the roots with a pick, and then stripping them into this bands."
taken from Terry DeWald's The Papago Indians and Their Basketry
Description | "Banana Yucca Root is also called Spanish Dagger, or 'o-e-toctk' in Papago, is the deep red color in baskets. Red baskets are prized by collectors because of their scarcity. Yucca root is more prevalent around the villages up off the desert floor with higher elevations like Quiotoa, Comobabi or Cababi. To secure this material is a very laborious chore which entails digging up the roots with a pick, and then stripping them into this bands." taken from Terry DeWald's The Papago Indians and Their Basketry |
---|---|
About the Artist | Tohono O'odham basket makers are among the finest in Native America. All materials are natural, as are all the colors - no dyes are ever used. Preparing the materials and forming the baskets is a very labor-intensive process. The basketry created by this tribe is best described by Terry De Wald in his book The Papago Indians and Their Basketry. Mr. De Wald has been a trader specializing in their basketry for more than 25 years. |
Culture | American Indian |
Medium | Bundle of grass foundation, bleached yucca leaves, banana yucca root |
Size | 8 1/4" diameter X 1 3/4" height |
Coil count | 2 coils per inch |
Stitch count | 10 per inch |
Date of creation | Circa 1975 |
Condition | Good, as there is a little shiny material on the bottom of the basket. |
Design | Overlapping coyote tracks in banana yucca root against bleached yucca |
Provenance | AS Phoenix collector |