Tlingit Rattletop Basket

ca 1890

3 1/2" + 1/4" for Lid H x 8" W

The Tlingit people, native to the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, are renowned for their exquisite basketry. A distinctive feature of their craftsmanship is the rattletop, a lid adorned with seeds, shells, or other materials that create a rattling sound when the basket is lifted or moved.

Twined out of spruce root and bear grass (natural and dyed).

Rattletop lids often feature intricate designs, including meanders, chevrons, and other geometric patterns.