Late 19th C. Apache Wicker Water Basket

>Native American, Southwestern United States, Apache people, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A tightly woven wicker basketry vessel of a broad, cylindrical form with one flat side, one convex side, and a slightly flared spout on top. A thin leather strap is knotted on both ends to each braided horsehair loop, and the entire basket is sealed with a uniformly smooth layer of colorless resin or sap that creates an incredibly rigid structure. Water baskets like this example were typically covered in sticky, dark-colored pitch to fill the countless gaps between the woven strands to mitigate and halt any leakage of the liquid contained within, so one of such a light color is rather unusual. Size: 9.25" W x 9.25" H (23.5 cm x 23.5 cm)

Provenance: private Glorieta, New Mexico, USA collection, acquired in 2015 in New Mexico, USA

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#149467
Condition Report: Minor loosening to some woven fibers, minor gaps in resin/sap layer, and fraying to some braided horse hairs, otherwise intact and very good. Smooth surface texture to most woven areas. Leather strap likely not original to the vessel but is still relatively old.