Makah Woven Bottle Basket with Lid

Mid 20th Century

8.25″ H x 3.25″ D

Hand Woven Basket with Tan Background Over a Glass Bottle with Matching Lid with Blue, Hot Pink, Yellow, Green, Black and Purple Colors of a Tribal Motif Scenes

Excellent Condition

A Makah woven bottle basket with lid is a traditional form of Native American basketry created by the Makah people (also closely associated with Nuu-chah-nulth/Nootka styles) from the Pacific Northwest Coast, particularly Neah Bay, Washington.

Artisans developed these as part of a cottage industry starting in the 1860s, weaving finely twined, labor-intensive “trinket” baskets from materials like cedar bark, bear grass, and sometimes dyed elements for polychrome (multicolored) geometric or pictorial designs (e.g., whales, birds, canoes, or whaling scenes reflecting Makah culture).

The “bottle” variety features a glass bottle (often antique or hand-blown) fully encased in tight basketry weaving, with a matching woven lidtransforming a utilitarian object into a decorative, collectible item. These pieces were popular souvenirs through the 1930s and remain highly valued antiques today.