Attu Basket

Late 19th Century

7.75" H x 5.75" D

Hand Woven Tightly Twined Weave with Red Woven Intricate Details and a Braided Rim

January 28, 2023

Provenance of JN Butler Collection

In Very Good Condition with a Few Tears on the Bottom and a Couple Breaks on the Rim

The Janet Nelson Butler Collection was developed by her great-uncle Edward William (E.W.) Nelson (1855-1934). The Wikipedia page on E.W. Nelson states that he was an American naturalist and ethnologist. Initially Mr. Nelson’s research was in Alaska. However, he developed tuberculosis and relocated to the American Southwest in 1890. His studies ranged from Death Valley to Mexico. The Smithsonian Institution houses his collection of artifacts from the Alaska expeditions. 

Family oral history as related by Janet was that that many parts of the Indian Collection were pawned items purchased at trading posts by E.W. Nelson, while some items may have been purchased by his brother F.W. Nelson. 

E.W. Nelson never married and had no children. Upon his death, his collections passed to R. Leiland Nelson, the only child of his only sibling. Upon the death of R. Leiland Nelson’s wife, their sole surviving child Janet Nelson Butler received the collection. Janet Nelson Butler passed away in 2022 and had no children. 

An Attu basket refers to a type of finely woven basketry traditionally created by the Attu people, an Unangax̂ (Aleut) subgroup from Attu Island in Alaska's Aleutian Islands chain. These baskets are renowned as some of the most intricate and delicate examples of Native American craftsmanship, often featuring tight twined weaves that can exceed 1,000 stitches per square inch. They are typically made from wild rye grass (dyed and natural), sometimes incorporating wool yarn for imbrication (decorative wrapping), and can hold water due to their density.