Who made this basket?

What was it used for?

This basket was made by members of the Puyallup Tribe in the early twentieth century. It is part of the Karshner Center's extensive collection of American Indian baskets.

While baskets have been made for millennia by cultures all over the world, the time and place this basket was made suggest that it was intended for trade. By this point it had long been common for tribes to use traditional skills to create items for sale or trade in order to survive. At the same time, basketry was an important art among American Indians, with each one a unique piece of art. Why do you think the top edge is wavy like that? Do you think the design might have a meaning?

For more information, visit:

• Artifact Worksheets you can use in your classroom or for homeschool
• This artifact in the Karshner Digital Collections
• American Indian baskets
• Puyallup people [Wiki]
• Native American baskets for Kids