Native American, Southwestern United States, Navajo (Dine) culture, ca. mid to late 20th century CE. A ceremonial hand-coiled shallow bowl that was traditionally given as a wedding gift, made from sumac or willow coils and stitched with strips of yucca, dyed in brown and red hues. The pointed star pattern and the outer rim with a "false braid" finish, are characteristic of Navajo and symbolic of creation stories - note the break in the central pattern- known as a sipapu (shipapu)- forming a path from the outer rim and terminal coil into the center - and symbolized ancestors, the dark band are rainclouds, the red represents sun, and the outermost rim are current generations of people. The sipapu path is the connection between past and present peoples, and the bowl should be orientated with the path facing to the east, towards the rising sun. Size: 17.4" L x 17.2" W x 4" H (44.2 cm x 43.7 cm x 10.2 cm)

Please note this item falls under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and is not eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.

Provenance: private Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA collection

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#184226

Slight bending to overall form, with light abrasions to some pigmented areas, otherwise intact and very good. Nice preservation to motif within basin.