Antique Pima Gambling Tray Basket

ca. 1930 

1.125" H x 19" D  

Hand Coiled with a Golden Brown Field and a Dark Brown Sunflower and Human Figure Motif Design with Patina

In Good Condition with Some Missing Coils on the Rimmed Edge as Pictured

Pima (Akimel O’odham) antique gambling tray baskets are shallow, coiled tray-form baskets made by the Akimel O’odham (River People), commonly known as the Pima, in southern Arizona (primarily along the Gila River). 

These trays were traditionally used for practical purposes like winnowing grain or food preparation, and some served in games (e.g., dice or gambling-style tossing games where items were thrown onto the flat surface). While elaborate “gambling trays” are more famously associated with certain California tribes (like Yokuts or Klamath), Pima/Akimel O’odham examples exist and appear in auctions and collections as “Pima gambling trays.”