Apache Bowl Basket

ca. 1900

2" H x 6.875" D

Hand Woven with Light Brown Background and a Dark Brown Geometric Pattern and Rim

Excellent Condition 

Apache bowl baskets are a hallmark of Southwestern Native American craftsmanship, particularly among the Western Apache tribes (including the Cibecue, San Carlos, White Mountain, Northern Tonto, and Southern Tonto groups). These coiled baskets, often used historically for storage, winnowing grain, or serving food, are renowned for their tight weaving, bold geometric designs, and cultural symbolism. They represent not just utilitarian objects but also artistic expressions of Apache cosmology—circles symbolizing life, zigzags representing life's stages, and motifs like diamonds or figures evoking animals, people, or natural elements.