Kawaiisu Bottleneck

Terry DeWald American Indian Art

Kawaiisu Bottleneck, Steiner Collection

This outstanding bottleneck is from The Gotlieb Steiner Museum from the early 1900s. Steiner 1844-1916), along with Andrew Carnegie, was a wealthy executive in the steel business in Pittsburgh.  He would send railroad box cars out West to buy the finest of the finest Native American baskets made just before and after the turn of the last century.  This bottleneck displays 25 wefts per inch and 11 coils per inch.  It is flawless, with perfectly executed snake bands around the circumference and sets of “Ant Trails” on the mouth.  The original paper and photo of this basket from the museum are shown. This beautiful bottleneck still has the original Steiner Museum tag on the bottom:  G 40.  Typically a weaver would create 2 or 3 bands of design below the shoulder on a bottleneck.  Here one sees a full 4 bands below the shoulder, one at the shoulder, and a final one just below the mouth…. a total of 6 bands in all. An important piece of history from a monumental museum that no longer exists.

9” x 7”

Circa 1900

Excellent condition.

$6,000

$6,000.00

Artwork details