Ojibwe Birch Bark Wall Basket

Description

This basket comes from my personal collection.  I purchased this basket new in 2000.
Birch bark baskets have been made for roughly 2000 years.  Bark is pulled in the Spring or early Summer taking only the outer layer
so the tree will not be killed.  The bark is cut, warmed to make it flexible, folded into shape and lashed together.
Rims and
reinforcing strips are made of red osier dogwood or pine and lashed with artificial sinew.  Birch bark
is waterproof, strong and
flexible.  Ojibwe women traditionally fashioned them into baskets of many shapes and sizes.  This one is a decorative wall basket.
This basket shows the dark interior of the bark on the inside of the basket.  The pale
exterior bark surface is on the
outside.
This basket may feel out of place among other more
prestigious basketry, but, the quiet time of
its
making, the ingenuous
design, and its sheer simplicity all
contribute to the appreciation of this container as a work of art.
Measurements:  Across the top 12 1/2" x 6 3/4" (to the wall)       Sides approximately 16"
Across the bottom 7 3/4" x 1 1/2" (to the wall)
There's an arch so it's not flat against the wall.
Questions??? Please ask before purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings.
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