Makah Nea Bay Bottle

ca. 1920s

5.5" H 2.5" D

Hand Twined over a Glass Bottle with Golden Tan Field and Brown and Red Strip Design

In Very Good Condition

Makah Neah Bay Bottle is a type of traditional Makah basketry bottle (often called a "bottle basket" or "basket-covered bottle"). These are handmade, tightly woven basketry items created by the Makah people, whose reservation is located at Neah Bay, Washington, on the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula.

Starting in the 1860s, the Makah developed a cottage industry producing these "trinket baskets" and related items for trade and sale, often to tourists or collectors. They are typically made using twined cedar bark (sometimes with grass or other fibers), featuring intricate, colorful designs in polychrome (multiple colors). Common motifs include whales, seals, thunderbirds, birds, whale boats, geometric patterns, or other cultural symbols reflecting Makah life and their expertise in whaling and coastal resources.