A Gallery of Shoshone-Bannock Basketry

Almost all extant Shoshone-Bannock basketry dates to the late 19th century or early 20th century.  Unfortunately, basket-making is one of the traditional crafts that has been discontinued at the Wind River and Fort Hall reservations.  In this case, there is no continuity to speak of regarding this skill.  There are a few people, especially at Fort Hall, who still weave baskets.  But their forms and materials are those of Paiutes and Panamint Shoshones of the Great Basin areas of Nevada, not of the Rockies.  Unlike many other American Indians known for their basketry, Shoshone-Bannock basketry served utilitarian purposes and few pieces were sold commercially.  As a result, most museum collections contain examples that show much wear, with broken stitches, broken rods, or other evidence of ethnographic use.

The Shoshone and Bannock baskets featured below are generally made from willow.  They are coiled baskets, usually based on a one- or three-rod willow foundation and woven with gap-stitch (sometimes called open stitch) wefts.  Most baskets exhibit a variation of a self-coiled rim finish (similar to an overcast or whip stitch).  Decorative coloring comes from natural or aniline dyes.  Click on thumbnails to see larger image and provenance/source.